Nature is constantly in motion but it is a regulated motion. Day is followed by night, and the sequence of rainy days and dry days continues. We give birth and we die. Life continues to ebb along the trajectory ordained by the creator. Some beings speed along like the planets and galaxies, but we also have the sloth and tortoise moving at a relatively slow pace. Human beings are found in between. We move too slowly and life passes us by. We move too fast and we are lost as in a maze, unsure of where we are and where we are going. We fail life and life fails us, that is why we must take some time out to recharge, refuel and rejuvenate ourselves. This is what holidays are meant to do for us.

 

 

Holidays are not idle moments to just gaze at life. The rest provided by holiday time is meant to redirect us, to assist us focus more on things that really matter. It is not a time to go awol, to be found wanting. When God had been engaged with the work of creation, he rested on the seventh day. God's rest is a period of liberation, a period of uplifting to remind us that we are not "human doing" but human beings. Our being must be alive always even when we are resting. God rested, he did not abstain from being. He rested, he did not abandon the world and the created order. His being kept creation in motion, a motion that would have been catastrophic were God to take the kind of rest modern man crave...a rest for work. Today human beings desire rest from labour. For us, to rest is to do nothing, to sleep and be free of Responsibilities. No wonder we are inundated with chaos and chaotic acravesties daily, because too many of us have abandoned our responsibilities in the name of rest.

 

 

Rest and be renewed, but do not succumb to idleness. "My Father goes on working, so do I". Jesus told us to teach us that Christians cannot abstain from living if we want the best of God's creation. Rest is needed to keep body and soul together, working in harmony and bringing about the flourishing of life. Hence our rest period should be both spiritual and entertaining. Our soul and mind need to be nourished and this is done by praying, reflecting, and reading books to stimulate our desires and creativity. Prayer helps us to go out of ourselves and focus on the things of God or the things of heaven. Through reflection, we learn to prioritize and by reading quality books we feed our mind and soul and enrich ourselves for greater productivity. Rest is not only good, it is necessary. Rest exposes us to the beauty of creation as we gaze on the beauty around us, it aligns us with other wayfarer as we make new friends and share in the life of others, some of whom will remain in our life for ever and some will simply pass by never to be encountered again. Even then, many leave fond memories that we associate it with great vacations or holidays.

 

This holiday period, I am going to gaze at the beauty of creation, touch souls in need, feed my soul, and allow my imagination to soar. I am going to explore, transform and be transformed. Time is running past but it is bringing new opportunities and only in our restful states can we discern the treasures waiting to be tapped and transformed for the good of man and the betterment of society.

 

Directed and non-directed retreats have always been helpful to many people. Retreats matter because they become companions and guides helping us make sense of our journey. So holidays should not just be about sightseeing and Mountain climbing, but also about exploring the depths of our own being so that we can actualize the goals of our life. Hence, during our holidays, let us touch God, touch our souls and touch the life of others. As we add beauty and focus to our journey we make the world beautiful for those coming after us. The road we trod today was made by others, the rest we seek, many are unable to get it. If you are privileged to take a rest, please do and enjoy it. Life is for the living and once it is gone even rest ceases. So get up now and find time for your own rest before Life takes its toll on you.