You know what the strange/weird/amazing thing is about vacation? In my life, God always, always uses it to teach me something. Which I find to be comical, considering that I struggle with actually taking vacation and rest without feeling guilty for doing so, or like I’m falling behind!
A few years ago, there was a series of events that took place on vacation to teach me a little (read: big) lesson about grace. This year, the theme that kept popping up while we were in Orlando was the idea of not being guilty for resting or taking time off of work, which, if I’m being honest, has been a HUGE struggle for me on past vacations.
But this vacation - it was a gift in so many ways. It was a gift to walk slow, just for the fun of walking, instead of having to walk with some sort of purpose.
It was a gift to take the photos below (well, except for the ones of me! 😉), just for the fun of being a photographer.
It was a gift to be able to do things just because they were fun to do.
It was a gift to give my mind a break from obsessing over the next task that could be done, or the next thing that could be improved.
I think the real question here is: how do we make time to do all of the things above not just on vacation, but in the midst of our every day lives? How do we make the time to enjoy wherever we are present (without worrying about the future), and find joy in doing things that are just… well… fun?
Truth be told, I don’t know the answer to that question. Sometimes, in my heart of hearts, it feels like the only way to be seen or recognized as “valuable” in our world today is to be admired for how much less rest we need compared to everyone around us - or for how much more we can do than everyone else.
But what a gift it is to press pause, to relax, and to come back stronger - mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically - than before. It’s a gift to recognize each moment in each season for what it is - whether it’s a season of rest, or of hustle.
And below are a few of my favorite images from our time of rest 💛 Some images are from Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the Yacht Club, Beach Club, and the rooftop Coca-Cola store at Disney Springs!
