So, 

One of the great joys of life has to be vacation!

Sue and I have an opportunity this year to take a vacation to one of the world’s great wonders, the Grand Canyon!

And while getting there is fraught with all kinds of opportunities for misadventure, being able to stand near the great rift in the earth will be spectacular.

But vacations don’t have to be spectacular, to be spectacular. What makes a vacation amazing for the most part is the unplugging.

Over the past few weeks, we have talked about ways to grow our spirituality. They are often called spiritual disciplines, but they could be called all kinds of things as long as we understand that they are intended to grow our relationship with Jesus.

Doing things to intentionally grow our relationship with Jesus seems on its surface a no brainer, but…

We are often quite terrible at doing things that are good for us. Exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, more fiber, more quiet time too.

With work, kids, grandkids, laundry, dishes, the dog to feed and brush, bills to pay, little league to attend, homework, actually getting to church for worship, and all the rest sometimes just consumes us. 

It causes stress and makes life just seem too hard. 

Vacation is the opposite, at least when it is done right! 

We unplug. We don’t go to work. We don’t pay bills, at least for that week. We aren’t answering the phone, well, at least we shouldn’t be. 

What we should be doing is resting, resetting, focusing on the amazing wonder of life. Getting in the kayak out in the bay and watching the birds, the amazing dragonflies, the loons and ducks, and geese, and all the wonderful water lilies floating on the bay with their huge flowers.

What we should be doing is noting for a moment how much taller the oldest is, how much cuter the youngest is, and how much the lack of a crazy schedule allows us to relax.

Years ago, I went to a stress management seminar. The leader pointed out that it takes one third of your vacation time to unwind and one third to rewind to go back home and back to work.

So, in reality, the only days that are really vacation are the third of the days in the middle – which is why he recommended the mostly unachievable three-week vacation. 

And while we go, “no way can I do that” unplugging none-the-less is amazing, no matter how we achieve it! 

You ever see one of those house make-over shows where they put in a true soaking tub? Why? Unplugging! 

Where they add a bench in the middle of an amazing garden? Why? Unplugging!
Or they design a backyard with a hot tub, or a swimming pool, or a tennis court or even a basketball court. Unplugging!

It is the intentional decision to disconnect in order to quiet your soul so you can reconnect with you, or in the case of a spiritual discipline to reconnect with the Lord of the Universe, and it is the smartest decision you will ever make! Your blood pressure will thank you!

Go in the closet and shut the door. Follow Jesus example and take a walk, perhaps sit, and have a heart to heart with the one who loves you more than anyone else.

Follow God the Creator’s example, and take a Sabbath Day and rest!

We don’t need more scrolling and streaming that waste countless hours!

What we need is the time and space to connect.

We need to cut the cord, set the smart phone down, shut off the TV, close the laptop and focus on God.

Unplugging of course isn’t limited to electronic devices!

Those may be today’s biggest villains, but unplugging also is an invitation to separate from a lot of other stuff that has us in thrall: the things that cause our stress and our inability to focus.

It’s an invitation to disconnect in order to reconnect with the people we love and care about, and the One who desires our presence, our time, our energy, even our love and devotion; Jesus himself.

So, hear this, you are cordially invited by Jesus himself to come and talk. 

Just unplug! Amen.