This year, vacation was a welcome sanctuary whose arms Bill and I gladly fell into after contending with some challenging life issues. We set off on our annual road trip with camper in tow and miles of pavement ahead of us. With a handful of plans and a few designated campsites, our main focus was simply some time. Time together, time to listen to God, and time to be restored.
Our two-week travels took us through seven states, spending most of our time in Utah and Colorado. There we experienced wide open skies and star-studded nights, ancient rocks and mountains, cleansing rains, soul-warming sunlight, and sunsets splashed across the sky.
We hiked in scorching heat to rocky vistas and deep, quiet canyons. We sat by rushing streams that drowned out all surrounding sounds. We watched elk saunter through grassy meadows and coyote approach our truck as we held our breaths and silently snapped photos. We slept until we woke up naturally. We walked until our feet were sore and our boots tight. We dined by campfires and sipped coffee with breathtaking views. Most of our time was spent in simple activities, enjoyed without time constraints and pressing deadlines and savored like the last drip of an ice cream cone on a hot day.
“ Our journey to the top became a metaphor, reminding us that, in God’s hands, the broken can be made new again and the weak can be made strong.”
One of the highlights of our trip came on a late sunny morning in Rocky Mountain National Park. We had hiked in the thin, warm air for nearly two hours, up and down a rock-strewn path that amounted to the equivalent of climbing 75 flights of stairs! With swollen feet and fatigued muscles we summited the crest of our beloved Lily Mountain. We weren’t alone at the top this time. So I gathered my courage and announced to the small crowd that it had been our goal to make this trek, following Bill’s heart surgery last fall. When cheering and applause followed, it made our mountaintop experience even sweeter. I choked back tears and we sat in utter delight, taking in the 360-degree eagle view for nearly an hour. Our journey to the top became a metaphor, reminding us that, in God’s hands, the broken can be made new again and the weak can be made strong.
The anchor, throughout our vacation, was the real sense that God was present with us. He prepared every landscape and walked every mile before us in our travels. He painted rainbows overhead to remind us of His promises, He filled the air with the delicious smell of pine, just for us, and He spoke to us each day through His Word. This is the scripture He gave us right before we began our journey and we committed it to memory while on our trip:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, establish, and strengthen you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:6-11
I continually marvel at God’s precious promises to us and His tenderness in caring for us no matter what our circumstances. This year on vacation, we felt the entanglement of stress release its grip and the cool breeze of hope begin to set our spirits right again. Not because of what we did, but because of what God did for us. We needed this time to quiet our thoughts and open our hearts. We needed this time to draw near to Him and let Him embrace us as only He can.
Vacations are important. I would give one to each of you if I could. For us, it helped press the reset button on our lives. And now that we’re home, I look forward to seeing what God has in store while I remember always the amazing two weeks we were given.