I can feel it…a tiredness that can’t be slept away, a restlessness about my work and this place (as much as I love both), a frustration with my inability to fix the broken (especially that which is broken in me). When these things start to pile up inside, I know it’s time for a vacation.

Not that a few days off are going to fix everything. But they do afford the opportunity to gain a bit of perspective. Yes, there are chores to do around the house…more than I care to think about. But I will also be making time to read…time to pray…time to reflect…time to relax. Hopefully, these days will have some balance to them…a little slower pace than most of my life seems to have.

Yesterday’s Gospel reading is still bouncing around inside my head…especially the part about the soil types into which the seed of the Word is sown. Like most of the folks in this place, I’m a type-three soil, i.e. a field full of so much stuff (most of it really good stuff, by the way)…but so full that it’s difficult for anything to grow well.

Perhaps that’s what these next few days off can be…a time to weed the field. Here’s a thought: Rather than using our vacation days just to collapse, we might spend them in prayerful partnership with the Holy Spirit…pulling out the overgrowth that is no longer necessary or helpful, and in the process making room for the good seeds of grace, love, faith and hope to thrive.

See you next week…after some time for vacation.