HOW TO GET STARTED
If you’re sold on the idea of a family vacation with a purpose (what we’re calling a spiritual vacation), the next natural question is, “Where do I start?” It might seem daunting, especially if you’ve never thought of a vacation in this way before. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this whole idea, one option is to find a location that will handle all the heavy lifting for you. Here at Word of Life, we’ve been designing and hosting spiritual vacation spots for over half a century. We love helping families connect with God and each other in new and powerful ways. From the start, our focus has been the spiritual growth and experience of everyone who visits one of our camps or weekend retreats. No matter where you decide to go, there are several important things to do before you leave. PRAY In some ways, it seems strange to pray about something like a vacation. But if you’re aiming for lasting change and valuable growth for yourself and your family, it would be crazy not to! God is the only One who can change people’s hearts. Not only that but all of our best laid plans are useless if we’re not in line with God’s will (check out Proverbs 19:21). Obviously, it’s important to pray for things like safety and fun, but don’t forget to pray for the spiritual and relational growth that might take place. Pray for each member of your family individually and ask God to grow them in a specific way. What kinds of things would you like to see God do in their lives over the course of the trip? Bring those to God and ask Him to work and do what only He can do.
throughout this whole process. But the next step is to be in full partnership. It’s best for you and your spouse to take an active role in planning and implementing the plan. It’s not a good idea for just one person to “run things” and the other person to be completely detached. Take some time and work through the whole thing together. Come up with ideas, talk about what you both hope will be accomplished, and discuss potential destinations and activities. Pray together over the days and weeks leading up to the vacation so that you are unified with each other and with God’s purposes. DECIDE ON A PURPOSE After praying, thinking and brainstorming with your spouse, make a decision on a particular purpose for the trip. What’s the biggest, most important goal you have for your time together? Plan the trip to center around that one idea. Keep it in mind while you’re traveling. Write it down. Bring it along with you on your trip and review it. Set it as the backdrop of your phone, so you see it every time you glance at it. The more you focus on it and remember it, the more likely you are to stay heading in the right direction. Why would we suggest picking one focus or goal when there might be a whole bunch of things you’re hoping to accomplish with your vacation? Planning something with too many goals can all but assure that none of your goals will happen. At a minimum, make sure you know what the most important thing is during your time away. • Do you want to see your family have a shared spiritual experience through prayer, scripture reading, or visiting a special location? • Are you hoping for time to dig in with everyone on how they are doing in various areas of their lives? • Are there particular habits or relational issues you
PARTNER WITH YOUR SPOUSE
It’s vital to be on the same page with your spouse
12
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker