June Know: A Vacation, A Withdrawal, A Sabbatical

Wouldn’t you like to get away? Where would you go? What would you do? And WHY do you want to get away? Who or what are you running from? In this economy, many can’t afford to get away. It’s looking like another stay-cation for most and not any type of “cation” others.

Maybe it’s not a vacation you need but maybe what you desire is to withdraw. Withdrawing or unplugging from work and family life is necessary to keep resentment, burn out, and overwhelm from happening or spilling over onto others. I think withdrawing can be anywhere from 30 minutes to a week or two. If you can’t escape far perhaps into nature is the way to go. Did you know you can tell your children, your spouse, your family that you will unavailable for the next hour or even for an entire day? Of course we are not talking about toddlers. Of course we are not talking about disappearing from your spouse. Family? Well, I’ll leave that up to you. But for me it looks like calling those who always call or informing others that I am taking the day to myself and that I am okay. It was weird for them at first but, they get it now.

A sabbatical, well, I recently discussed taking one as I participated in Lent for the first time, is a significant time away from something or someone. It can be a month or up until 2 years. You’re not simply on vacation but you are intentionally focused on something, learning something new and not working. It is something not routine. I have determined that I need a sabbatical to focus on something I have pondered about for the last three years. It’s going to take some bravery, research, and discipline and I can’t wait to document my findings. I know for sure a month but maybe two months is needed. Heck, what about the rest of the year? Ha!

Luke 5:16 In-Context15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. 

 “A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in” — Robert Orben

~Nikki