5 ways to have a purposeful vacation

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1

We’ve ended our summer with a vacation this week. It’s been a glorious gift from the Lord.

Here are 5 ways to get the most out of a vacation.

1. Find its focus
It’s all about the water here. Or its lack thereof. The desert moves and breathes by water. Shouldn’t we?But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.
John 4:14

2. Document your journey
The Indians near Holbrook, Arizona, wrote on these stones around 1000-1300 A.D., leaving a legacy for us to learn from.

Take pictures and write words of your journey, too, so you will remember and so future generations can learn from it.3. Adore God everywhere you go
…for His awesomeness: …for His creativity:…for His sustenance:4. Manage your resources wisely
Invest more in who you’re with than where you go. Spend laughter generously. Be stingy with complaints. Dole out energy appropriately. Keep your batteries recharged. And keep all females amply watered and fed.  
5. Let your vacation change you
Too bad Satan doesn’t take a vacation when you do. Your enemies travel with you: selfishness, insecurities, grouchiness, laziness.
And fear. But God travels higher and deeper than Satan ever can. Let Him use the change of scenery to give you a change of spirit. I’ll be more appreciative now of flat land, green grass, tall trees, and shade.

And of a God who can gift us with mini-vacations or large vacations or anything in between to show us how great He is!

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Read a great article here by C. J. Mahaney on Leading Family Vacations (although I’d go a little easier on the dads.)