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Lessons From My Family Vacation
a devotional by Rhonda Rhea
"Vacation." Just the word evokes feelings from almost everyone. Some immediately envision enjoying a tropical breeze, basking on a beach. For others - especially those with children - it can cause flashbacks of a toddler throwing up on the map, cross-country potty stops and shooting leers toward the back seat that could stop bullets. Me? I would have to go with a little of both.
Most of the time, I get to choose. Will I have a warm, fuzzy, beach-type moment, or will I end up banging my head repeatedly against the dashboard? It has a lot to do with my own attitude, my vacation expectations and my contentment level.
By the way, I'm writing this juicy little morsel while vacationing. At this moment, we're semi-fuzzy. But, as you might imagine, with five kids and two adults packed into a mini-van (along with enough luggage to clothe a third-world nation), the trip has not been without flashback-inducing moments. At the last several restroom stops, I've pressed my face against my passenger side window and, just for fun, slowly mouthed the words, "Help me!" to anyone who would look. I think the authorities are looking for me in four states. Since I'm a Texas-grown gal, I'm happy to say that Texas is among them. They grow everything bigger in Texas, author excepted. Sadly, that does include the bugs. I'm scratching even now. I think there are more varieties of bugs in Texas than there are in the rain forest. They all bite. This might interest an entomologist. I'm not an entomologist.
As a matter of fact, as I was reaching for my notepad to start this column, I came close to causing a major pile-up on I-30. I opened my notepad and saw bug legs. I just about scared my husband off the highway and on into Arkansas. But don't worry - a little CPR and he'll be just fine. The bug, however, is dead. He was already deceased when I opened my notebook. But, unfortunately for my husband, dead bug legs look exactly like live bug legs. I stopped screaming as soon as I realized the legs weren't attached. You may want to send those cards to my husband at home where he's recovering nicely, thank you.
There are choices along every journey: Warm, fuzzy thoughts or head-banging. Contentment or crabbiness. And we have choices all along our Christian journey. We can make an effort to invoke more warm fuzzies, or we can crab about every bump in the road. How did the Apostle Paul handle his bumps in the road? In Philippians 4 he tells us that in every circumstance, he'd learned to be warm and fuzzy - content! "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content." If Paul could be fuzzy from prison, shouldn't I be able to keep my cool when the map won't fold?
There's one road to contentment: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Trying to find contentment anywhere other than Christ won't work in any state - even Texas. Don't try it. That would be goofier than screaming at dead bug legs.
© Rhonda Rhea All text and graphics on her sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted © in her name and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention.
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