Leveraging Vacation

As I write this blog, I am moving closer and closer to my annual vacation.  Just about every year, I take a two-week vacation the last weeks of June. My wife and I go with our kids to the south Jersey shore. Over the last five years it has been Ocean City, New Jersey. The place is special for me. Something about it helps me relax and unwind in a way that no other place does. As a friend of mine said about the beach recently, “I feel like I can exhale there.” That’s exactly right.

As a kid growing up, our family didn’t go to the beach for our vacations; so my sisters recently asked me what I liked about it. Everything! I love walking on the beach in the morning and sitting on the beach in the afternoon reading a book. I love jumping into the waves and watching my kids have fun playing in the ocean. I love throwing the football or frisbee with my kids.

I love riding my bike in the beach town as a work-out or just to “tool around.” On vacation, I drive as little as possible, walking or biking everywhere I can. I love sitting on the deck and having morning coffee or playing my guitar there in the evening.

I could go on and fill this whole blog about why I love the beach but I won’t bore you any further. My point is that it is a special time and place for me and my family. My hope is that you too use vacation time to renew and restore yourself. Here are some thoughts on how get the most out of your vacation.

Consider the time

As I mentioned, I take two weeks off at the end of June. Two weeks gives me time to really disconnect. Often the first week feels slower because I know I have a second week coming as well. Some people say it takes them the first week to unwind and disconnect; and they enjoy the second week more. Either way I am a big advocate of two weeks away or some length of time beyond a week over little spurts of time off. If you have never taken a longer vacation, I encourage you to try it. It is probably the most important two weeks of my year. It really helps me stop and rest so that I can work hard the other 50 weeks of the year.

I like the end of June because when I come back the culture is slowing down. It is close to Fourth of July so the pace back in the office is slower. There are fewer e-mails so the slow pace of vacation seems to linger longer. Other people like to vacation at the end of summer because it gives them something to look forward to. Personally, I feel like going on vacation earlier in summer helps me get into “summer mode” sooner. You know yourself. Choose a time that works for you and you look forward to having. And, by the way, just having it on your calendar does something for your heart. Some of the pleasure and joy of vacation comes from knowing it is coming.

Choose the right place

I like returning to the same basic location (although we do not rent the same place every year). Going back to the same town helps it become a special place for me. John Ortberg notes that if you go to a specific place for prayer over and over again it becomes a sacred place. I think the same is true for vacation.

I understand that some people like to use vacation for adventure and travel. You may want to go someplace new every year. New locations can help you slow down and disconnect. If that is what helps you, make sure that it is restoring you and that you don’t need a vacation from your vacation.

Invite God into it

When I go on vacation, I ask God to be with me on it. Our family prays the rosary on the car ride to the beach, asking God to bless our vacation. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; he makes me lie down in green pastures; he restores my soul.” Environments matter but ultimately it is Jesus alone who restores our souls. He wants to restore us but waits for us to invite him into our lives.

I ask Jesus to use the time to restore and renew me in my calling. I tell him that I am open to go wherever he wants me to go and to speak to me if I should be doing something else. Some years it has been a serious question and I needed to hear from him that I was going in the right direction. Other times it has just been a checkpoint.

On vacation, I do pray a little more because there is more free time available. I do prayer walks on the beach and linger more in my daily Bible and spiritual reading. I still remember sitting on the deck, drinking coffee and reading my Bible back in 2014. I was reading through the book of Acts and read this verse, “But I do not consider my life of any value or as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish the course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) I remember putting down my Bible and saying, “God I want this to be true of my life.” That holy moment could only happen because I had taken time to go on vacation.

Totally disconnect

Don’t check your e-mail. Don’t take phone calls. I tell the Nativity and Rebuilt staff that they don’t exist to me during those two weeks. I’m joking, but only kind of joking. Maybe there is an issue or problem that can’t be solved without me and must be solved in that time, but I don’t know what it is. Totally disconnecting lets you really stop and get restored.

Know what restores you

You can see that I go to the beach because Jesus restores my heart there.
During the other 50 weeks of the year, I have leisure activities that I often feel like I have to “fit in” during the normal routine of life. Spend vacation time being in places that are restorative and doing what you love to do.

I hope this helps you leverage your vacation so you are renewed and restored. We need you in the work of renewing parishes. Your church members need you. To do the hard work of renewal, you need to be renewed from time to time.

Rooting for you,
Tom