We all have a place. A place where life just seems to slow down. A place where it feels like we can take a full breathe. Inhale and exhale.
Life always continues on. There are always meetings and workdays and people. Events, and organizations and schedules. The world never stops and rarely slows down. Which is why we all need that place. A retreat from the chaos. To step outside of the hustle and bustle and just be.
The pace is fast in this age. Everything is quick and efficient. No nonsense and no waste. Everything feels urgent and immediate. When the pace of life increases, there is temptation to say, I can’t take a break. I am needed. I am integral. Nothing will continue without me.
And that is the exact moment when you need to stop. To step back. To find your place.
Because the lies of this world are that it needs you, and you need it.
But what we need is rest. We need time to sit and soak it all in.
This weekend, we had a chance to get away. It felt like bad timing. Everything leading up to our departure made me want to change my mind. But we made it to a small cabin on a tiny lake, and it was so worth it.
Sometimes there is a necessity to frivolousness. A need to lay aside the practical and just enjoy. There will always be more work days. Always a meeting that will be missed, or a bill that needs to be paid.
My place is the beach. Sitting on the edge of the water is refreshing. Every time I dip my toes into a large body of water, it seems like God has moved something in my heart. Being at the edge of something so much greater than you, really puts things into perspective. I am so small, and life is so unpredictable. And yet, God is even bigger than that. The one who made the ocean, created me. And as majestic as the great lakes are, He created me in His image. He sent His son, who literally walked on stormy waters, and calmed a sea, to die so that I might live.
Sometimes these images bring specific revelations to my hNeeart. Next steps. Changes of directions. Often it is just serves as a reminder of who God is. But either way I am grateful. The beauty of nature also reminds me to not take myself so seriously. God created nature to work in order. Everything has its place and purpose. Everything takes place in due time as He plans it.
Just so, my life is in His hands. There is order and peace. There is purpose and fulfillment.
But it is also here to be enjoyed. Life is meant to be lived. Not planned, or protected, but cherished and celebrated. There is beauty in spontaneity. A need for fun. Because if we let the responsibility of life weigh us down for too long, we will often try to be our own savior. The one who keeps the world in motion will hold your life together. The burden does not fall on you alone.
So take time to get away. Whether it be the beach for a week. Or the mountains. Just go. Even if it is a local park on your lunch break, or a early morning walk. Find a place to get away. To pray and listen. To breathe. To remove yourself from the busyness and soak in the goodness of God.
Take it all in. Breath Deep.