By Mark Mackay
After a long Winter, Spring has finally sprung!
This Winter seemed to be a difficult one for many – the cold weather seemed particularly cold and lasted longer than normal. Added to that was the ongoing COVID peak, a tough flu season and (of all things!) the threat of monkey flu! So, I am glad that the weather is turning and a new season has begun!
Life can get so busy and so demanding that we can neglect to take times of refreshment but this is a great time of year to establish that rhythm. Spring is a great time to get outside and enjoy nature (just be careful of the magpies!). It’s my favourite time for a bushwalk and to get away from screens and devices.
Last year, at this time, I took my little boy camping one Friday night. We didn’t end up getting to the campsite until after dark, then it started to rain so we had to sit in the car to eat and couldn’t have a campfire. Then, in the morning, we had to come home first thing. As I was driving home, I thought, “what a disaster!” But then I heard how he described the night to the rest of the family – “We had the BEST time! It was so cool – we laid in the tent and listened to the rain and talked.” Who’d have thought?!
Jesus Himself set the example of withdrawing to rest. I can’t imagine how busy Jesus was and how demanding things must have been but He was intentional in setting aside time to withdraw and rest (Luke 5:16). If it was good enough for Him, it’s good enough for me.
Let me encourage you to take the prompt of the change of season to consider how you can make time to withdraw as a family and refresh – away from devices and screens. Enjoy the incredible creation God has made.
