In my time away, our family went away on a road trip to Nova Scotia. It was wonderful to be with my favorite people in a beautiful, new place.
When arrived at our first stop on the trip, the sun was shining, the air was fresh and the scenery was beautiful and open. The groceries were lighter, the rooms less cluttered, the number of belongings were fewer. I felt closer to God, and to the people who matter most to me.
Why does it sometimes take getting away to get back to this place, where my soul breathes fully and freely? Where I am more willing to lay down the phone and pick up a book, turn off the tv and play games, do less and be more? Where doing the dishes and laundry are no longer burdens but a relaxing part of the day?
Does the lightness in my soul come from being away from our home and all that it holds, with its extra things and responsibilities? Does it come from disconnecting from the larger circle of life we are a part of there? Does the lightness come from living with less things, being more present with those beside me, or from being in a rural place where God's creation is more visible than what man has made?
Yet when our travels continued, we moved from rural spaces, to suburbs, to the city, and the lightness in my soul remained.
It made me curious how that was possible.
As I sat with God each morning, I realize that I hold tightly to life, rather than allowing myself to flow with life, and His life flow through me freely consistently. I subconsciously take control each day, even within seconds of spending time with God and giving the day to Him, I go back and grip onto my plans for the day. Yet on vacation, we make plans but hold them looser, allowing the day to flow as it needs to, making space for time to do, be and rest. Now that I am home, I have been reflecting on how to remain in this space within and not take the reigns back on life as we settling back into day to day life.
I share this with you today in case you too as seeking to live daily where your soul breathe deeply and fully, whether you are home or on vacation. I invite you to join me to...
pause. breathe. pray.™
May we recognize that we don't need to wait for time away to start living more fully and freely. The true work to get there begins within our hearts and minds. May we take time and give our attention to assessing how we live each day at home, and pray about what extras we need to let go to create that space we need in our souls today. May we approach our daily lives with the less is more perspective we carry with us into our time off. Let's do this so that we truly start living each day with less of what doesn't matter to God, and choose to live more aligned with who and what do matter to Him, as I was able to with my family last week.
With love and hope,
Shawn
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
- Psalm 73:28