Vacation

Every so often we get to go on vacation. We all love going on vacation, we plans for months where we are going to go, what we are going to do while we are there and we may even plan some of the meals that we are going to eat out. We take all the time to research the area, to find what events will be happening while we are there, we look at the local paper to see the news, the weather and all the current events so as we go out on that daily adventure we are able to take a sense of adventure into the unknown city. We love to explore the world around us, yet sometimes it is so nice to see the new and unexplored land, that state we always wanted to visit, the little island in the Caribbean, the state park that looks so beautiful online and in pictures that we have to go and see it with our own eyes. We need to take in all that beauty for ourselves because the awe of it all is so breath taking that we want to hold onto that moment forever. We try to accomplish that by taking the camera on the trip and shoot all the pictures so that we may never forget all that we seen, and the beauty that surrounds us along with the joy that we felt as we were exploring the new places together.

Yet, before we are able to travel out that door for the weekend adventure or maybe a week or two away we spend months planning and saving to ensure that we have the best time ever. We spend evening researching all the information, and preparing to leave home for a short time span. Yet, the night before we leave we are so excited to think that we are actually getting to go away for a short time. We get the suitcase out of the closet to start to pack all that we are going to need for the journey. In this suitcase we place all the things we need to live outside the home, the clothes we need to wear, the personal care products that we will need on the trip. We place all these things in the suitcase so we can carry it with us, so we have a piece of home with us as we travel. We all have our favorite jeans, sweatshirt that has to go no matter what, like a child takes his or her favorite teddy bear because they just cannot sleep without them at their side throughout the night.

Although, have you ever noticed that when we travel away on vacation, we seem to leave out one thing that we tend to cling to during the weeks at home. We leave God out of the vacation. We pack and plan for all the wondrous things that we are going to do, but we leave the Heavenly Father at home. Well, we cannot place the Father in the suitcase it just won't work. We often take the week and walk a road that is not close to God, rather it is one that we just do what we want tend really enjoy the world that is around us. It is like that dog that keeps going back to the vomit, because they are not able to walk away from that sin or pain.

Often when we are on the wonderful vacation from the daily life, we stop praying or talking to God. We enjoy the full weekend away, and never even stop to look for a church to stop by and worship at while you are away. We will leave the Bible on the coffee table at home instead of packing it in the suitcase or placing it in the car. Why would we want to focus on God while we are traveling, when we can have so many other conservations with those who are with us. Yet, the moment we return to the real world of work, school, activities, stress reenters our lives and we cry out once again to God to come and help us through the day once again. Besides if we stop to pray and worship while we are away, how would we know all that we are going to the right church, and would the people there be welcoming to us knowing that we are there just passing through on our way home. Why, would they want us there intruding on there service, sitting in their pew in the church. We all know that it is our pew, and how dare someone new or old sit there, knowing that we sit there every Sunday. That it is part of our Sunday routine. Oh, when someone else sits there we suddenly become annoyed and have to actually look for another seat in the church. It is almost like God just won't talk to us if we are not in the right pew. It is as if God won't be able to find us if we are not in the right spot in church. Yet, deep down we know that it is not true. We know that God is there in the Church, in our hearts, our actions and in our words. Yet, we get so caught up on the little things we stop paying attention to Him on a daily basis, because we are so caught up in that routine at home.

So when we travel on vacation we take this luggage that we pull all over town, our bag of stuff that we just could not leave home without even if it is for one night we pack this bag of stuff. Yet is God in that bag, do you invite Him to travel with you. He is there when you are traveling keeping you safe on the road, in the air, or out on the sea. Yet, God is always there if we take the time to get to know Him, we may ignore Him at time or wishes he would close His eyes when we walk into sin, but He is right there with you in the midst of it all, because He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is there in the joyful vacations. He is there with you as you admire His handy work. After all it is all His creation that you are out there admiring. His love does not stop; He does not withdraw that love because you are caring that luggage with you in another town. God travels with you, His hands, His Love are there with you if you are sitting there at home, in your pew at church or if you are thousands of miles from home. His love does not stop. It is always reaching, and guiding you through out the day. All we have to do is simply cry out to God, and He comes to us His children because He loves us. That love that he has for us is not contained to a place, a pew, if is simply because we are His children and He cares for us.