A Day to Be Off

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Most people think that Pastors only work one day a week – Sunday. So, in their mind the gig must be good. Just download a sermon from the internet and you got it made. Anyone who seriously thinks that is welcome to take a week and be Mr. Minister. You’ll soon find that there is more work than week.

From time to time we all must take some time to ourselves and get away from the desk, workbench or wherever you earn your pay. It is a time to get away and refocus. If you are lucky you have someone you want to refocus with and that person in my life is my best friend and lovely bride Julie. She is a teacher and before you say that they also have it made I recommend you get ready to be punched. Teachers are some of the hardest working least appreciated people in this world. Mike Rowe should have included them in an episode of Dirty Jobs. Thankfully she had a day off the other weekend and we decided it was time for Mom and Dad to go be Julie and Brian, so we went to a little town in Central Texas called Ennis.

Ennis has some of the prettiest blue bonnets in Texas. Even though I am a native Okie I do like the state flower of my adopted home. It’s a wild flower meaning God takes care of the planting for these blue bombshells of color. I took my camera and got some great shots. While we were on the back roads looking at flowers we came up on some horses who were ready to have their pictures made. They were friendly and posed just right. We ended the day with great food at a local Tex-Mex restaurant. It was a great day away from the usual.

I say this to let you know that we all need some time to unplug. The need is built into us. God rested on the 7th day and called it a Sabbath or day of rest. As the master said ““The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” Mark 2:27.

Each of us needs time to slow down and reflect on the greatness of God and our need for him to take care of us. So, don’t be disobedient to the holy urgings inside that tell you a recliner and the couch are great places of worship and obedience to God. Get the good book or a good book and fulfill your elementary teachers goal to create in you a reader. Don’t waist time with Judge Judy or a news show that will just create mental chaos. Concentrate on things that get you calm and help you unwind. Take a walk and talk with someone important. Put your phone up for the day, they do have off buttons by the way. Trust me you will be a better person when you come back from you short vacation. You’ll be rested, refreshed and ready to make life worth living.

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