Food for Friday

And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while, for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. Mark 6:31

The manager of the wholesale warehouse floor where I worked was on vacation, leaving me alone to deal with a heavy load of orders to fill. For two weeks, those orders flowed in from salesmen apparently intent on maintaining their commissions as they prepared for their own vacations. To fill those orders, I had to rush frantically from morning until evening, practically running all the time. For the entire two weeks that the floor manager was gone, there was no letup in the crunch of work, and I was exhausted. Late Friday afternoon, I gathered up the last of the orders and send them down to the shipping floor. As I stood by the elevator in a sweat (did I mention the place was not air conditioned?) and panting wearily, the superintendent arrived. ‘You had a busy week,’ he understated, ‘and you have all the orders caught up. Why don’t you take next week off and go fishing?’ At that moment, I understood the beauty of Jesus’ invitation to His disciples to ‘come ye yourselves apart’.

The disciples had just completed their missions of preaching and healing, and they returned to a hectic situation. They really needed a break. Jesus knew all about it. He also knows all about the times when you and I need a break. He understand the importance of getting away from the frantic pace of daily life, and the need even to get a break from service to Himself. By stepping back and relaxing awhile, engaging in quiet conversation and the enjoyment of nature, we can recharge the batteries that wear down when we are busy. Nowhere in the Bible do we find laziness condoned or even excused. But a vacation is not laziness, it’s a critical part of restoring us to usefulness and vigour. Properly used, a vacation is a wonderful blessing.

Where did Jesus take His disciples? Does a desert place sound inviting? No brook to fish in? No lake to canoe on? No park to play in, or mall to shop in? Jesus knew that it didn’t matter where they went as long as they got away. It can be the same for us, too. But we can enjoy a nice place away with nature’s restfulness, or attending a conference somewhere that we haven’t been before, or visiting a sick or elderly friend or relative where we can help with chores and provide companionship. We can often have a lovely vacation and still serve the Lord.

When you feel the need for a break, remember how the Lord Jesus advised it for His disciples. But don’t forget to take Him along when you ‘come ye yourselves apart’. -Jim MacIntosh

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