Getting Away From It All



(Pictured above is my son, Emerson, with me in the mountains of South Carolina on Friday, January 2, 2015.)

 

On New Year's Day of 2015, I enjoyed getting away from it all.

 

Dad, my middle brother, my nephew, my son, and I slipped off to Oconee State Park, South Carolina, for a camping trip.  We slept in a tent, sat and ate around a fire, and enjoyed taking in all of the sights.  The mountains looked spectacular, as always, and we enjoyed showing off God's beautiful creation to the kids who came along.  It truly was a wonderful time, and we look forward to doing it again some time in the not so distant future.

 

That trip reminded me of something...

 

It's good to get away from the many distractions of life and focus on what matters most.  And what is that?  Relationships.  Specifically, relationships with God and with people.

 

While we were up there, we didn't have technological devices beeping and buzzing.  And we didn't have college football bowl games blaring.  Obviously, there's nothing wrong with that stuff.  But too much of it can turn our hearts and minds away from the really important things of life.  While we were on our trip, we just talked, walked, ate, read, prayed, and slept.  That was it.  And you know what?  I absolutely loved it!

 

God reminded me that things like technology and sports are ok, as long as I keep them in perspective.  Those things can play a role in my life, but they should not dominate and control my life.  I guess you could say that God spoke to me during that trip about staying focused on what really matters.

 

So now I'm back home.  Yes, I do write on this blog and I enjoy a good ball game.  But I'm finding myself less dependent on those things.  I'm noticing that sitting alone at in a quiet place for prayer, reading, and writing, is time well spent.  Ultimately, I'm seeing that investing time and energy in my relationships with God, family, and friends is what matters most. 

 

I'm glad we got away from it all.  It was a great few days.  And it helped me get some of my priorities back in order. 

 

May we all remember to focus more on the essentials, and to keep the other things of life in proper perspective.