Summertime is here! Graduations, anniversaries, vacations, time to get out and enjoy the warm weather, although these past weeks might not be the warm weather that we prefer. I do not know about you, but my ideal vacation is getting away to go hiking with my family and taking in the beauty of God’s creation of nature. As I look around, I see life in everything around me. The trees are alive, the flowers are in bloom, birds are flying everywhere, and we have the beauty of extra daylight to drink it all in, although I could deal without the mosquitos and gnats.
I also like this time of year because it is a wonderful way to disengage and get away from it all, recharge, reenergize, and refocus. While enjoying the time I spend in nature, I often think of what the Garden of Eden looked like as God’s first creation. How perfect that must have looked before bulldozers, blacktops, and pollution. When I pass by a lake, I often ask myself, “Was the water as clear as the island's beaches or did it always look this way?”
As I get away from it all to recharge, reenergize, and refocus, I often wonder what it must have been like for Jesus. Did he ever have time to rest, reenergize and refocus? And yet, we know that there were numerous times that Jesus went away to have some quiet time and pray to His Father in heaven.
The fact is we all must spend time away from the day-to-day hustle and bustle. We all must spend time away to quiet ourselves down and recharge to become better versions of ourselves.
The real question becomes, do we spend that time away in reconnecting ourselves with God to be better versions of who God wants us to be? Do we allow ourselves to spend some time away praying like Jesus did to give ourselves the strength we need to do our part in spreading the Good News and Building Up the Body of Christ?
I know for me, as I am sure for many of you, we know when it is time for a vacation. My brain is fried, I force my way through the day, and my bed is calling me right after dinner. However, when I get back and my batteries are recharged, the gift of the Holy Spirit inside of me is awakened and I am ready once again to hear God’s voice calling me to serve in Building Up the Body of Christ.
May all of you enjoy your time away this summer and may all of you come back again refreshed, recharged, and energized in Building Up the Body of Christ not only in your own lives but helping others do the same in their lives.
God Bless,
John G. Napoli
