Unplugging to Recharge
Earlier tonight, I realized I am totally living in 2008. I was answering text messages, email, facebook messages, being instant messaged on facebook, checking blog comments and twittering all at the same time. And the weird part is, I don’t mind it. It’s just how we communicate right now.
But tomorrow I start some holidays. I’m excited about jetting back to preach Sunday live in at our Orillia campus. But first, we’ll drive Saturday to our favourite family vacation spot in Haliburton an hour away, to a lodge we’ve gone to each summer for over ten years now. My youngest son Sam calls it his favourite place on earth next to home. We literally count down the days to this vacation on a whiteboard on our fridge. The whole family loves it.
One of the things that makes this "resort" we stay at so attractive is that it’s a throw back to an earlier time. No tv. No radio. No wireless routers. Cell service is okay, but not great. Twitter is a sound that chipmunks make. Facebook happens when you fall asleep reading and your head drops. They don’t even have regular mail there, let alone email. We’re unplugging for a week together, and it’s fantastic.
If I have goals for the next week, here they are:
- Recharge deeply with God. I’m not actually ‘tired’, but I so want God’s energy. I’m seeking that with a full heart.
- Totally connect with my family. I’ve had much more margin in my life since the spring than in a long time, so it’s not like I’m going to cram a year’s worth of relationship into a week. But I love these people and I get them for a week, undistracted. Cool.
- Play cornhole. I love cornhole. I hope our friend Neil from Kentucky brings his set again this year.
- Boat alot. Boating is fun and very therapeutic for me.
- Bike. I’m bringing my bike up for the first time this year. That’s great. Also, it means no one will steal it from my garage this year. If anyone tries to steal anything this year, I’ll send Gary Lamb after them.
- Do nothing. That’s really nice.
I think we were wired both for rest and work, and over the years I’ve learned that to work best you have to play hard – that’s been a slow lesson for me. So off for a few days of play.
And it means we’ll chat again soon on the blog. I’ll be back on-line in a week.
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