In praise of vacations

He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves

and rest a while."

Mark 6:31

Contemporary society somehow got this part all wrong. Constant connection via cell phone and Blackberry (or, in my case, Droid) is not just the norm, it's expected. Good grief, people, even Jesus understood the need for time away!

And away we went to the beautiful Poconos in northeastern PA. We were delayed by a day so that I could go down to Bethesda to see my friends, so by the time we arrived, it was a desperately needed break. It never ceases to amaze me how hard Tim and I drive ourselves so that when we do slow down for a few days, we really slow down! Up at 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning, nap around 3:00, bed at 11:00. I think we did more sleeping in those 4 days than we have since I can remember.

I think we are pretty humble people. We know that the world will continue to spin without us. Yet somehow we have bought into our own indispensability. Maybe for Tim, this is sort of true. He does own his own business, after all. Me? I'm gainfully unemployed at the moment, almost a grad student. But when I finished with my work, we spent a busy moving-in weekend in New Haven and then got the news about Jay. By the time we drove up to the mountains, we were two weary souls.

This is something that Jesus understood all too well. People were constantly following, pleading, touching, trying to get a piece of him and the disciples. But he knew that we need refreshment and rest. "Come away," he says. You're of no use to anyone if you are exhausted and worn out. Take a minute or two to relax. Take a nap in a boat (Mark 4:38). Go to a quiet place. The world can spare you for a while. Hike in the mountains, play with Boudreau and Satchel, take naps. It's okay. Your work will wait for you.

Thanks. I needed that.