The True Significance of Holidays
by Dan Preston
Holidays are an absolute blessing; a rare opportunity to unwind and recuperate.
As we approach the summer season we all cast glances towards our
calendars, crossing off each day as it slowly passes by. They’re
times we look forward to, cherish and enjoy. However it dawned
on me recently how incredibly easy it is to accidentally leave
a valuable part of our holidays at home. Rewind to the summer of
2009 and I’m in Majorca. Leaning back admiring the sunshine soaked
surroundings, I reach for the ice-cold glass I’ve been sipping
at. The atmosphere is tranquil. No children's war-cries, neighbours
arguing, telephones ringing or televisions blaring. Just peace
and quiet; bliss. I’m on holiday and have a satisfying feeling
that I’ve left everything behind.
Then it dawns on me. I’ve left
too much behind. In my eagerness to unwind completely, I have persuaded
myself that I can cope all on my own – that I am the only person
who has the control over the period of relaxation I so desperately
require. I hadn’t packed my Bible and had made no time to pray and reflect upon the ways in which God had
been moving in my life. I hadn’t done it intentionally; it was
rather just an accidental slip of the mind, an unconscious attempt
to take as much time out as possible.
My mind instantly rushes to verses so well known, which remind
us that the source of our refreshment can be found in the Lord
- the kind of references where chapter and verse number alone are
enough to trigger recognition. I regularly turn to God throughout
the year for restoration and rejuvenation, for energy and drive,
yet for some reason my past holidays have seen me try my hardest
to switch off completely in an attempt to focus on an absolute
state of relaxation.
Ever since that holiday I have been pondering
how I had allowed this to take place. Could it be that we are just
so desperate to get away from our day to day lives that it clouds
our judgement? Maybe it is the mundane routine of Sunday mornings
wearing us down over the previous 51 weeks of the year? Whatever
the reason, I was sure that I had to do everything in my power
to prevent it from happening again.
Throughout our busy, congested lives how often
are we able to focus all of our time upon worshipping and communicating
with God? Holidays provide us just this opportunity - without the
hustle and bustle of modern life tying us down almost 24 hours
a day, we are able to turn our minds solely upon glorifying our
Lord and Saviour. Furthermore during our vacations we are often
closest to the nature that provides us with an astounding example
of God’s work - a mountain scaling thousands of feet, a beach containing
billions of grains of sand, oceans as vast and deep as we can comprehend.
Most significantly, we can appreciate the people with whom God
has blessed us with; families and friends who we share our holidays
with.
Luckily there are holiday destinations where a Christian
atmosphere permeates every aspect of the vacation. Spring Harvest
Holidays offer such a place – God is at the heart of everything
they do. There is an inspirational, thought provoking spiritual
programme (including talks and bible studies by well-known speakers such as Gerard Kelly and Ian Coffey) that is both interesting
and engaging - but best of all the programme is completely flexible
and you are encouraged to attend as little or as much as you want.
This is all provided in a luxury four star holiday park on the
sunshine coast of Western France – a safe and secure environment
for a hassle-free holiday. This year I will be once again be found
by the pool, Children playing with friends, telephone off. However
I will be taking a different approach to my holiday – I will ensure
that I focus wholeheartedly on reflecting upon the gifts and wonders
God provides me with 365 days of the year.
