Break Time?
Living in a tourist destination means that our lives are possibly involved with those who seek the rest and recuperation that can be found in this beautiful area. Our populations swell to accommodate thousands of visitors who desire the simple pleasures of being close to the ocean, the moors and Devonian villages. Even if we are not directly involved with the tourist trade, we will all be impacted by the increase in traffic and the buzz of shops and businesses serving the visitors.
Rest and recuperation is a vital part of life for us all. While those who are working in holiday businesses will keep their heads down until the end of the season, it is important that they too are able to have time out to stop and refresh themselves for the work of the next season and all of us regardless, need time to recharge our batteries.
One could ask though, “What is rest?”. For some the idea is simply stopping; withdrawing from the frenetic activity of daily life; it can be activities which bring a change from the treadmill of work or responsibilities, while for others it can be a variety of experiences which allow us too step outside our lives and give us a different perspective.
The NHS describes rest as ‘part of pacing and management of activity’, but effective resting is about the quality, rather than the quantity of rest. Too much leaves us lethargic or bored, while too little means we become fatigued in body, mind and spirit.
As Christians we are shown a pattern by Jesus which recognises that each of us need ‘time out’. There are many instances in the Gospels, such as Mark 1:45 or Luke 6:12-13 where after a busy day of teaching, preaching and healing, he withdrew to a remote place to pray and spend time with God alone, or with a few of his followers. It was those times that perhaps allowed him to reflect, to take stock and speak about it with his heavenly Father.
In a sense only we know what helps us relax. Perhaps it is time with friends; time walking with a dog; lying on a foreign beach as the sea laps the shore or perhaps it is just a weekend to meet up with family.
This summer, however you decide to spend it, I hope you are able to enjoy a time of peace and relaxation, or at least if not now, to be able to look forward to a time when you can. So, for now as I get used to reversing yet again into a layby for another car to pass, let us give thanks for the beautiful area in which we live and that all who come to stay here may return home refreshed, relaxed and ready to face whatever lies ahead of them.
Revd Susan