Summer time is here. I'm in Oklahoma this week speaking at a camp and the heat index quickly reminds me that summer heat is here to stay for a few months.
That's not the only reminder that it is summer time. VBS, summer curriculum, activities, camps and much more reminds us just how busy summer is for those in children's ministry. Even though the virus is causing us to adapt some of what we do, we are still crazy busy.
Summertime is also vacation time for many families who are in ministry. Whether it's in the summer or a different time of the year, as a church leader, it's important to set aside some time each year and spend it with your family.
Vacation time...you need it and should take it each year. Don't leave unused vacation time on the table.
Vacation time can keep you from burning out. I've shared before how I made the mistake of not taking vacation time. It led me to burnout which forced me to take vacation time. So you can take vacation and enjoy it or you can be forced by burnout to take a vacation and be miserable due to being sick. Make the wise choice in this.
Vacation time will deepen your relationship with your family. We all wish we could spend more time with our family, don't we? Vacation time gives you the ability to do just that. Put away your phones and spend uninterrupted time with each other. Play board games. Go on an adventure. Hang out together with no agenda. Ride that roller-coaster together. Spend a lot of time talking around a campfire. Time spend with your family is never time wasted.
Vacation time will re-fill your tank. Are you running on E? Are you sputtering as you use up the last bit of energy you have left? Ministry will do that to you. It will begin to feel like drudgery. People will begin to be annoy you. And if you are not intentional about stopping to refill your tank, you will eventually find yourself stranded and unable to go forward.
Don't get to that point. Keep tabs on where you are and know when you need to re-fill ahead of time. Vacation is a great way to re-fill your tank. Sometimes you need to just sit still and do nothing. I know. That is hard for some of us to do. We're wired to go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go and go some more. But it's like a race car. Even during the race, you have to have some pit stops if you are going to finish the race.
When is the last time you took a pit stop?
Vacation time will give you more time to spend with Jesus. Jesus often pulled away from the crowds, away from the ministry and spent time with His Father. When you do pull away, put some extra time with Jesus on your vacation calendar. In His presence, you will find grace, rest, peace and the strength you need to keep on keeping on.
Vacation time...take it...you need it...and so do I.