...from the Pastor
Vacation
Summer is here and vacation time is in full swing; this little note is to encourage Christ-followers to handle vacation time responsibly. Here are five tips for ensuring great vacations.
Take a vacation! This may seem redundant, but our busy society has almost crowded out actual vacations. Take them, go, and relax. Your body needs a break, your mind needs a break, your emotions need a break. Take your vacation and do it without a shred of guilt. The world will survive without you.
Take Christ on your vacation! If you’re a Christ-follower, you obviously will, since your body is His temple and His Spirit dwells in you. We need to be reminded, however, that we are His witnesses wherever we go, so we need to see even vacation as an opportunity to enjoy Him, love Him, and be available to Him for the blessing of others and for His glory.
Take your vacation responsibly! If you’re a Christ-follower, make sure all your bases are covered. Inform your group you’ll be out, leave your tithes with your church while you’re gone, and provide substitutes if you have teaching or nursery duties (if you’re in a church, please serve in the nursery no matter your age; parents of small children need your ministry). Plan for someone to cover your mail and papers, care for your pets, and even check on your house. Leave a number for someone to call if there’s an emergency.
Take your vacation wisely! Live within your means; if you can afford a simple vacation at a cabin in the mountains, take that vacation. If you can afford more, enjoy it, but don’t go into debt and come back in worse shape than you were before you left. If you’ll plan to set aside money every week for your vacation through the year, you can have a great vacation without a dime of debt. Add those extra blessings to that vacation fund, and it will grow to a great vacation.
Take your vacation joyfully! Christ-followers ought to be those on the planet who enjoy the King’s creations to the fullest. Fill your days full of the best that is available, enjoy it to the hilt, and take pictures to have fun memories of the best of the trip. We are commanded to "love life,” so love it and enjoy it—all of life, including vacation—with all your might.