Tis the season, as sports teams finish their schedules, and right before we head back to school, our church has many people on the road and looking forward to time off. In this brief little article, I thought I would share how my family and I take our Faith with us as we travel, in the hopes that you might find something that will bless you!
Pray, For Vacation, and on Vacation
Jessica and I try to set aside some time to pray, while we are planning. It’s an intentional way to invite the Lord into our time off, and begin a process of asking for the time to be blessed. You want your vacation to function in a way that is similar to a Sabbath (restful to the spirit and life-giving not life-draining).
Also, I highly encourage morning prayer on vacation. Somebody has to wake up and get things started during the day, why not let it be you, and why not wake up 15-20 minutes early (especially if you have a beach, forest, mountain, lake, or anything like that going on). Take a walk and spend a few minutes with God before the day starts.
Choose a Great Vacation Book
Absolutely banned are any books related to your job. Also, anything that would bring stress. Jessica loves a good mystery novel, I tend to pick up an adventure or biography. Sometimes, if it’s a big road trip, we’ll even get an audio book for the car.
If you aren’t a reader, you can skip this one for sure, but a chance to set down the devices and pick up a book can be a wonderful thing for the soul. Look for something lighthearted, funny, interesting, informative (but not in a work way), you know… one of those ones you always wish you had time for, well, now’s the time!
Design a Worship-Service Playlist
On your music app, you can create playlists, why not download 2-4 of your favorite, most singable worship songs for you and your family (maybe each person picks one). You could even get fancy and choose an instrumental prelude or download the doxology (several artists sing it live in concert).
Keep it on the shorter side, and we find it to be a real blessing in two spaces on vacation: 1) as a private worship service you can listen to anywhere, 2) as an in-the-car worship service on a Sunday morning if you’re heading from place to place.
Stick to the Palms
If you’re going to try and read scripture on vacation, your pastor’s recommendation is to stick to the Psalms. They’re short, they are prayer and experience focused and they aren’t full of plot. They make for wonderful vacation devotions. Try the Psalms of Ascent (they run from 120-130) and were designed for grand Israelite road trips as they headed to the temple on an annual pilgrimage.
Check in with your Kids
If you have kids/grandkids traveling with you, this is the best time to check in with them spiritually. How are they doing in their walk with the Lord (though I have never phrased it like that with my own kiddos). Try to get a sense of where their spiritual strengths and struggles are. God gave them YOU to help them through their trials. Vacation can be a real time of healing and re-connection if you are intentional about it (and by intentional, I don’t mean turn your vacation into a spiritual retreat). Look for the simple, special moments where a conversation can happen, and then be there for that conversation.
Look for God Moments, and Give God Credit for them
When you see a mountain, or any other bit of God’s creative glory, praise the Lord for it. When you experience a blessing, thank God for it. When you have a really neat experience, celebrate it and be thankful to the Lord. You invited the Lord on your vacation with you, so expect to see some “God Moments” and turn those to prayers of thanksgiving.
…and you Thought I was Going to tell you to go to Church.
Seriously, if you want to, go for it, but if it doesn’t fit into your schedule over vacation don’t stress over it either. There’s nothing stopping you from taking 20 minutes or so on Sunday morning and pausing to worship our Lord (which your pastor does highly recommend).
Though if you do go to church, snag an extra bulletin for us, we love to see what other churches are doing!
Blessing
May God bless your time off this summer, may it truly be a time of rest from a world that is far too frantic and busy. May you demonstrate healthy sabbath rest for your children, and may you find the blessing of the Lord in your time off. May the Lord bless you if you are traveling, and bring you home safe, refreshed, and with joyful stories to share.