It’s 7 a.m., and I’m sitting on the balcony with a view that’s unbelievable.
There’s a steady breeze from the ocean, and the salt air is so refreshing early in the morning. I just watched the sun like a fireball being reborn perform its daily routine of slowly rising from the depths of the ocean. I’m on the 3rd floor balcony of our in-laws’ condo at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina looking out over the expanse of the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Amy and I are looking forward to a week of fun, sun, surf fishing, seafood, spending time with family and 
just plain enjoying some time off.
Have you ever thought about why we enjoy vacation time so much?
I’m sure there are a variety of answers one might give. We are creatures of habit. We really do love routine. We have our Monday through Friday morning routines and our Saturday and Sunday routines. When we eat out we usually don’t need a menu because we know what we want before we sit down at our favorite restaurants. We like to park at about the same place at church, and Heaven help us if someone is sitting in our seats when we get inside. It throws our whole worship experience off (ha). The routine of life brings with it pressure and stress. It’s not easy juggling all the responsibilities of being a good parent, fulfilling the demands placed on us at work, giving our spouses the attention they need and deserve and finding time for one’s self.
I’m a big fan of vacations. Vacation time provides an opportunity to get away from much of the stress of daily routine we are accustomed to. A change of scenery, a few days away from work, activities which involve the whole family, a walk on the beach holding your spouse’s hand or just sitting in a rocking chair on the porch watching the sunset over the Smoky Mountains can do wonders for us. If we do it right, we can return home refreshed and ready to tackle the routine of life again.
Have you ever said or thought while on vacation I’d love to do this all the time?
Well, we all know that is not usually possible. What makes vacations so special is that we can’t do them all the time. That brings us back to the routine of life and the pressure and stress which goes with it. There are some practical things we can do to help relieve stress and pressure and better enjoy the day in and day out routine of life. I’m certainly not an expert, but I know a source that is. That source is God’s Word.
Here are some helpful hints from the heavenly book. Remind yourself that you are unique and special. God knew you before you were born and has a special life plan for you. (Psalm 139) Fingerprints suggested it, and DNA confirms it. You are unique. There is not another human being on earth exactly like you. God knows your name and everything about you.
Try to live life one day at a time. (Proverbs 21:1) Too many people try to either live in the past or the future. Just a reminder of something you already know – you can only live life today. Yesterday is gone and can never return. It may be relived in our minds from time to time, but we cannot live in the past. We should learn from our past mistakes but remember that God not only forgives, but He also forgets. We should seek to do the same. We cannot live in the future. When tomorrow comes, it will always be today.
Don’t borrow from tomorrow’s trouble and problems. It probably won’t turn out to be as bad as you thought it might anyway. AKA – Don’t stress over the past or the future. Take on life with its blessings and problems today. Don’t spend too much time thinking about the things you cannot do anything about. (Proverbs 3:5) There are some things that we just cannot change. We wish we could. We wish it could be different, but it just isn’t. Wishing and fretting will only increase pressure and stress. Some things must be turned over to the Lord. He’s big enough to handle the things we can’t. Do your best and let God do the rest. (Proverbs 3:3-4,6) I’m a big proponent of the principle that hard work and doing the right thing pays off in the end. Proverbs reminds us that if we love people and are faithful at the tasks of life, then we will gain favor and a good name among others and the respect of God Himself. Doing the right thing is always the right thing to do.
Many other things could be said about, eating right, getting plenty of rest, exercising regularly, but I don’t what to throw at you and add more stress (ha). But
we know those things contribute to our ability to handle the issues of life.
We are in the middle of summer vacation season. Take a little time off and vacate the premises. You don’t have to travel a long distance from home, but you might be surprised what a few days away will do for you and your family. Remember when you get back home, God can help you with the pressure and stress of life. Take it from God – He’s an expert.
Roy is a national Conference, Seminar and Retreat speaker and can be contacted at Roy@royharris. info or view his website at www.royharris.info.