My husband and I are in Hawaii for a week's anniversary celebration. We have been saving credit card bonus points and airline miles to apply toward this dream-come-true vacation.
We are staying on the 13th floor of a beautiful hotel with a balcony that overlooks Waikiki Beach. It's a breathtaking view. The foliage and flora are colorful and fragrant, and they stand in stark contrast to the outdoors in the Midwest in winter. The week ahead of us promises to be our fantasy land away from our ordinary.
Although our anniversary week is just beginning, I am already aware of the vast difference between the whimsical land of this magical island and the harsher realities of everyday home life. We all must deal with living in the real world, walking with our feet on the ground, facing life as it really is. However, long experiences with tough issues and the hard grind can leave marks upon us. We can find ourselves with a negative perspective, a skeptical outlook, if not even a hardened heart. When these scenarios try to set in upon us, they diminish our vitality and productivity. The challenge before us is to learn to endure the rough battles of life without losing the romantic hope of victory and the innocent wonder that makes the battle worthwhile.
An occasional trip to a vacation spot might just be what the doctor orders. That land may be the world of the grandchild, a favorite TV show, a walk through the woods or a bicycle ride in the park. The place of our renewal is not as important as the renewal itself. No one would advocate a continuous lifestyle of play, adventures, dreams or escape; but a "now and then" visit into this realm is the counterweight that gives our lives a balanced point of view.
Pulling away from the demands, the problems and the pressures in order to renew the imagination, restore the strength and revitalize the stamina sends us back to our daily activities with a brightness of mind and a freshness of energy.
The Bible teaches us about this needed balance in the principle known as Sabbath rest. The pattern is found in the creation account where God is seen to work six days and to rest on the seventh. Throughout the pages of Scripture, God admonishes man to follow his example and to rest one day out of the week. Apparently, seven hard workdays makes one weak.
What is a weak man? Weakness is found in the realist who is without imagination, in the person whose firm resolve lacks tender compassion, the hard worker who has forgotten how to smile at life's little ironies, or the entrepreneur whose bank account is full while his home is bankrupt. Weakness is manifest in the inability to enjoy a sunset, reflect upon the events of the day, pause to hear the laugh of the child, or remember to thank God for his tender mercies. Weakness is self-importance overload.
In our busy, hurry-up world where achievements are publicized, opportunities are limitless and boundaries appear to be non-existent, we can find it hard to resist the temptation to ignore the weekly Sabbath rest and to replace it with months of ceaseless activity. And often, the price we pay in our minds, bodies and relationships is much greater than we estimate.
As for me, this week is a perfect time to begin striking the balance between work and play, between realities and wishes, between worry and faith. Perhaps your vacation trip is also closer than you dreamed.
Patti Amsden is co-pastor of Son Life Church in Collinsville.
