Last week I was able to slip away to the beach for a couple of days. Just a short trip, but enough to remind me how deeply I need those moments of rest. If you know me well, you know this doesn’t come naturally. I am, by nature, what you would call a workaholic. I love what I do, I care deeply about the church, and it’s hard for me to put things down. Even on vacation, I find myself answering emails and texts, jotting down sermon ideas, or making phone calls. Stepping away completely doesn’t come easy to me.
But here’s the truth: even though I didn’t fully let go, just being near the water made a difference. My mother made sure I had swimming lessons when I was a child so I would never be afraid of the water. Because of her wisdom, the ocean has become a place of peace for me. There is nothing quite like the rhythm of waves hitting the shore—rolling in, pulling back, steady as a heartbeat. It is the most calming sound in the world to me.
Of course, my furry traveling companions don’t all share my love for the ocean. Lily is a fan—she’s ready to wade right in. Lucy, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with it! For her, calm is found in a patch of sun, lying near a hammock, watching the world go by. I sometimes think Lucy has it figured out better than I do. She knows where her peace is, and she takes it without guilt.
God wired each of us differently. Some of us find rest in the crash of waves, others in the quiet of the mountains, others in a backyard swing or a walk around the neighborhood. The important thing is not how we find it, but that we do.
I forget this far too often. I forget that my body, my mind, and my spirit need rest. And yet, the Gospels tell us again and again that Jesus himself “often withdrew to deserted places to pray” (Luke 5:16). In Mark, he even invites the disciples to do the same: “Come away with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). If Jesus, who carried the weight of the world’s needs on his shoulders, could step back and rest—then why do I think I can’t?
Time away is a gift. It’s not just a vacation; it’s an act of trust. It’s believing that God can handle things without me for a little while. That may sound obvious, but for those of us who struggle with stepping back, it’s a lesson we need to keep learning.
So I give thanks. Thanks for the people who make it possible for me to get away to the beach. Thanks for the beauty of North Carolina, with its mountains and beaches—two very different but equally holy places of rest. Thanks for the gentle reminder that “getting away” is not wasted time, but sacred time.
Maybe you struggle with this too. Maybe you, like me, have a hard time letting go. If so, I encourage you to find your place of rest. Maybe it’s the beach. Maybe it’s the mountains. Maybe it’s a quiet chair with a cup of coffee and no phone in your hand. Whatever it is, trust that God meets you there.
Because when we return from those places of rest, we return renewed. We return with hearts more open, with spirits more grounded, with a deeper capacity to love and to serve. And that, I believe, is exactly why Jesus invites us to come away with him. See you Sunday!
Peace, Pastor Tracy