Man, oh man, kids say the darndest things…
I have the best story to share.
I was spending time with my in-laws in Arizona this past Easter, which included a lot of laughs, hiking, pool time, and especially…games.
Here’s a small glimpse into the fun times we had when we were there.
Have you ever played Disney Apples to Apples? It was a favorite for our 6 year old niece Eloise, and I have to admit it was pretty fun…
At Eloise’s request, we played game after game and were having a blast.
Only one problem…my husband Patrick kept winning.
Eloise, being the competitive 6-year-old that she is, was beginning to get fed up with him.
The angrier she got, the more her rosey little cheeks turned into a bright red…I could practically see steam coming out her ears.
“It’s not fair!” she pouted…”Patrick keeps winning.”
Grandma Jenny responded, “Oh c’mon Eloise…you are going to have to learn that you can’t always win. Sometimes other people have to win too.”
Eloise shot an icy look at Jenny that could pierce through the room like daggers…
“Stop trying to teach me a lesson, I’m not at school…I’m on vacation!” she announced.
All of us adults burst into laughter. In fact, we almost laughed so hard we cried.
Poor little Eloise just continued to become more and more upset at us…she was drawing the line!!
Eventually she calmed down and we were able to get back to the game and have a great time.
What’s the point of this story?
Eloise was firm in drawing the line.
She was not going to try to “learn” on vacation.
Do we know where to draw the line?
Do we know when to stop working and take a break?
As life has gotten busier and busier, it seems like we have had a more and more difficult time “shutting things off”.
Do you even know how to shut it off?
I heard on a podcast lately that it’s become even harder to even turn our phones off!
It used to be so easy because there was a red button to hang up.
Now our phones are even designed where we have to hold down multiple buttons in order to remember to turn them off.
This is not who we were designed to be as humans…constantly plugged in and needing to always be “on” without a single break…
Making it harder and harder to turn things off…
Focus on how you can set better boundaries and learn how to check out when you’re on vacation.
Plus, if you are working too hard, you’ll miss the laughs, smiles and fun times with family and friends.
No one ever laid on their deathbed saying “I wish I had worked more hours.”
So what does God say about taking a vacation?
Well, he doesn’t specifically mention the word “vacation” in the Bible, but he does talk a lot about rest…
In Exodus 20, God said, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, your God. On it you shall not do any work…”
Sabbath means “day of rest.” In Mark 2:27, Jesus said the Sabbath was made to benefit man. It is important to note that Sabbath-keeping is for our benefit. It is for our own good. The purpose of Sabbath is to preserve health and to prevent burnout.