PIT STOPS
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
Growing up, I could always count on three things happening on any given Sunday: my family would go to church, mom would cook a roast, and dad would watch NASCAR. I remember watching the cars go around the track a few hundred times at ridiculous speeds. I remember the crashes and how awesome they were (most of the time). And as a younger kid, I remember how I used to be so confused at why drivers would take a “Pit Stop” if it meant getting passed by other drivers. As I grew older I realized that if they didn’t take a pit stop they would run out of gas, overheat, and blow their tires. I wish I would have recognized the amazing life lesson that comes from the redneck sport of NASCAR growing.
This past fall, I went through a pretty tough season. It wasn’t because someone close to me passed away, or because I was experiencing financial hardships, or even because I felt a lack of community… It was because I had gotten so caught up in the busyness of life, that I lost focus on the entire purpose of life! Why? Because I hadn’t taken a pit stop.
I’m a workaholic. I used to think that it was a compliment when someone would use that word to describe me and I had a hard time fighting back my smile. As a result, I found myself in a “go go go” lifestyle. I was so focused on moving forward that I didn’t recognize the need to take a pit stop. I wasn’t paying attention to my gauges. You know what I’m talking about… the signs that you experience when you are about to hit a wall. When I finally looked down to see that a few of my tanks were empty I knew I had to take a pit stop.
I decided to take a personal retreat. I spent 48 hours with just me, God, a Bible, pen and paper, and a couple books. If you’re anything like me, that sounds like a torture technique, but I was astounded by the positive impact it had on my life.
There were a few things that I did:
I got away. I wanted to get away from the norm.
I rested… a lot! Slept in. Took naps.
I read scripture
I read books
I journaled
I prayed
I was refreshed, rejuvenated, and I heard from God in a way that I had never heard him before! One of the biggest lessons I learned is that sometimes we need to get away from the busyness, normality, and noise of life to hear the one voice that truly matters. It was a catalyst for what God has been doing in and through me over the past few months. In fact, I found it to be so impactful that I’ve got 3 dates in 2015 to do it again.
One day trip by myself
One 48 hour trip with my closest friends for that purpose
One 48 hour trip by myself.
You may be reading this and thinking “I don’t have time for that” or “that’s just something that pastors do” but the truth is everyone needs to build these types of retreats, these pit stops, into the rhythms of our lives.
So here’s my challenge for you. Take out our calendar right now and pick at least one date in the next couple of months. Mark it on your calendar. Don’t let anything else override it (outside of emergencies). Protect that date! Find a place to stay or make it a day trip to a state park or something like that. Expect God to do big things.
We’re called to find rest in Christ. Don’t ignore the gauges. Don’t think you can make it without him. Commit!