Welcome to August, a month that languishes–or perhaps ought to, were it not filled with back-to-school busy-ness.

These are dog days, warm and slow–or so we wish. A time to just relax, enjoy long days. Except that we’re so busy.

At our house, August provides a welcome lull. My son plays volleyball, a sport with a season that stretches from September to July. So we get a break from tournaments, practices, scheduling carpools. We have time to simply hang out as a family. Time to garden, or go to the lake. (if only we didn’t also have to work!)

 

Before the mad flurry of fall hits, many of us will vacation. We will vacate our offices, homes, and go to another place. What are we seeking there? Adventure, perhaps. Seeing places we have not seen before, or perhaps returning to a place we go every year.

Often, our stated goal is to rest, to take a break. But our vacations are often as frenetic as the rest of our lives. Ignoring the irony, we carry our hurry into our leisure. We do not really rest at all.

 

 

 

 

 

This month, we will focus on the idea of rest, and Sabbath. If you haven’t read it, a great resource on this topic is Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity. We’ll give away some copies, and talk about what it means to rest.

Today, let’s talk about this: are you taking a vacation this summer? If so, is “rest” a part of the goal of taking this time off? Even if you’re not taking a vacation, what are you doing to slow the pace of your life slow down in late summer?