Words of Faith: Summer is vacation time – or is it?

It’s that time of year when many look forward to vacation. A time to just break away from it all and relax with nothing on your mind except maybe the waves lapping at your feet.

However, you may find that rather than “getting away from it all,” you’ve brought it all with you. Those problems and worries that are part of everyday life. Whenever I get quiet, I often find myself turning things over in my mind such as, “What about my health problems? Are my grandchildren doing all right? Are they getting a good education? Are they standing strong against the things of the world or are they being tempted to drift from the Lord. Should I really be here or should I be taking care of things at home and on the job?”

Then all of those self-inflicted “shoulds” start parading across my mind. Along with the many graces of a quiet retreat, time apart does tend to bring up all the stuff that busyness has pushed out of sight.

That is when it’s time to begin my practice of the “letting-go prayer.” I remember that St. Peter said, “Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7). Sometimes I just repeat the name “Jesus, Lord Jesus” and I find even calling on his name brings a peace.

One man said that when you go to pray, just let the train pass by. Let all of those thoughts pass before you and then one by one let them go until you are able to enter into that quiet place where the Lord is waiting to commune with you. It’s then that you can truly “get away from it all” and vacation in his presence.

One of my favorite writings is simply signed M.W.R. The title is “The Stillness Of His Presence.” It goes like this.

“If we looked at Jesus more, and ourselves, and our friends, and our trials, and our failures, and conditions of life and the world, and flesh, and devil less we would reflect His image more and more, and the hardness, and impurity, and temper, and selfishness would fade away, and there would be tenderness, and purity, and gentleness and love just taking their places – changing from glory to glory.

“Whenever you can, take a few minutes of just waiting on Jesus, not necessarily praying, but just waiting, looking into His face, desiring His presence. At first you may not seem to receive much, but if you take every opportunity, presently your soul will hunger for Him, and the sweetness of Himself will come to you, and you will get like lovers – rather slip away with Him just for a minute or two than to talk or read or rest or eat. And when you are tired, or rushed, or nervous, a few minutes with Him in the stillness of His presence will rest you more than anything in the world.

‘If any man thirst, let come to Me,’” Jesus said. – M.W. R.

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Words of Faith: Summer is vacation time – or is it?."