holiday - time and reflections ...

Thursday, July 30, 2009. Holiday can be a period where we have time to relax. Time to get up late. Time to sit in the evenings with friends. Time to read books and just have time. Time to go into town, sit in a cafe and order cafe latte or a “Melange” or some double espresso. Holiday can be a time for exchange, for flat or deep conversations, for being together and playing games, for the beach or the pool.

Holiday can also be a little bit stressful sometimes. We had 7 kids floating around over the last days, some of them starting approximately at 6am in the morning. But different adults got up early, and others could sleep including myself - many thanks!

Holiday can be a reflection time. I tried to get into reflection mode myself over the last days. Partly that worked well - we had an absolutely great time with friends, talking about their life and ours, exploring options and possibilities, exchanging difficulties and challenges. But it seems that some things are not accessible to easy reflections. Some things are unpleasant and do not change just by my thoughts about them. You cannot solve problems purely by reflection. You might have to go and do something, or you might have to change your mode of thinking in a more fundamental way such that the things dissolve.

We have experienced again and again in the past that going to God in prayer can have such a fundamental effect. Reflecting things in his presence, thinking not alone, but together with him, can make a real difference. God's spirit is a real power. He promised to help us with his wisdom, with his presence and with his guidance. Asking him to come with his spirit and change my mind such that I see the world with his eyes, with his heart, with his priorities and insight can be an open door into his world. It changes my mind, my heart and the reality around me. [R.W.E.P., jesusnetwork.eu]

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