Vacation Mindset
This is a gentleman I met in Jerusalem. He blessed me by slowing me down enough to feel the presence of the Lord all around me. I am forever grateful…
When my family goes on vacation, we pack our days full of activity. From sunrise to sunset, we want to experience it all. Even if we’re sick or tired, we push through—because we don’t want to miss a moment of the adventure.
But I often wonder: why don’t we approach our daily walk with God with that same eagerness and determination? Too often, we don’t treat church time the way we treat vacation time. On vacation, we fight through fatigue, bad weather, or long lines because the experience is worth it. Yet when it comes to church, Bible study, or serving in God’s kingdom, we can find almost any excuse to stay home. A headache, a busy schedule, or even a gloomy mood is enough to make us miss an opportunity to worship, to serve, or to be encouraged by God’s people. And how quickly we let small inconveniences turn a good day with God’s people into a bad one—when in truth, every moment spent in His presence is a gift.
Ephesians 5:15–16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Just as we squeeze every ounce out of a vacation day, God calls us to make the most of every day with Him.
I was reminded of this truth in a very unexpected way. On a trip with my husband to the Holy Land, he became ill with COVID near the end of our stay. He had to remain in isolation in an underground care facility beneath our hotel in Jerusalem, while my visitor’s visa required me to prepare to return home with our tour group. On the group’s final day of excursions, I instead spent my day walking the city, collecting things my husband might need to get through his sickness—cough medicine, a thermometer, anything to ease his discomfort.
As I searched, I met an older gentleman who kindly gave me directions to a pharmacy. Then he added something unexpected: “Why don’t you make the most of your time left in the city? Return to your hotel by another route. It’s down a beautiful street known for its irrigated flowerbeds and open marketplace. It is safe. God bless you and your husband.”
I’ve often thought of that man. In the midst of my worry and exhaustion, he reminded me not only to provide for my husband’s needs but also to look around, breathe deeply, and not miss the beauty God still had for me that day. His kindness pointed me back to the truth that every moment is a gift from God—moments to serve, moments to love, moments to notice His beauty all around us. Even in the strangest places—whether it’s a crowded marketplace, a quiet hospital room, or an unfamiliar city street—we can still carve out personal time with our Savior. His presence isn’t bound by location or circumstance. Wherever we are, He is there, ready to meet with us.
James 4:14 reminds us that life is short: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” If that’s true, why wouldn’t we live each day for God with the same urgency we bring to a vacation? And as Jesus promised, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
The full life doesn’t come from excursions or sightseeing, but from walking with Him daily—through the hard days, the unexpected days, and the beautiful ones.
That street in Jerusalem has stayed with me. The flowerbeds blooming constantly fed by fresh water, the marketplace alive with color and conversation—it was a picture of life made full. Our walk with God can be like that too. Even in seasons of trial or uncertainty, His Spirit irrigates our souls with living water, bringing beauty and fruitfulness where we least expect it. If we open our eyes, we will see that every street we walk with Him is lined with blessings waiting to be noticed.
So today, let’s live with that “vacation mindset” in our faith—making the most of every opportunity, pressing through our weariness, and soaking up all that God has for us. Because unlike any earthly trip, this journey with Him doesn’t end—it only gets richer and more beautiful.
