Hawaiian Vacation

When most people think of Hawaii, there are probably a multitude of pictures that come to mind, and if they were asked to describe it in a word, the word “Paradise” would probably head the list.  For me, it was where I was born and grew up, so my ideas of Hawaii are a little different from those who do not call Hawaii "home."  When we came back from our Hawaiian vacation last year, Katie asked if I went surfing while I was there followed by the question “Do you surf like you ice skate?”  Anyone who’s seen me on ice would probably confirm that it is a memorable experience. All I have to say is that ice skating keeps me on top of the situation.

Thankfully, most people asked me general questions like, “Did you have a good time?” and not questions like what did you do there?  I mean, can you imagine the reaction that I’d get if I told people that our family traveled almost 5,000 miles to play Skip-Bo and Scrabble without points?  I am a competitor and what’s the point of playing a game if we are not keeping score?  But this is how Mom played the game and this is what Mom wanted.  My purpose in going to Hawaii was to see Mom and to spend time with her.

While in Hawaii, I got to spend some time with another old friend.  A few days after we arrived, I got up early one morning and made my way into my Uncle’s kitchen.  No one was up yet, so it was very quiet. After turning on the lights, getting a cup of coffee, and sitting down at the kitchen table, I said, “Jesus, I’ve missed You!”  Even though we had been there for only a few days, it seemed like an eternity since I sat down with the LORD. 

I am not bragging about my relationship with Him.   I think that every Christian should have a close, regular, intimate time with the LORD; He should be the center of our lives.   In the same way that we seek Him in our individual lives, we should also seek Him as a community so that when we come together, His spirit flows out of our lives and connect us one to another.

LORD, open our eyes and help us to recognize our community—Your Body.  Help us to be joined together as Your Son asked (John 17:20-23). We ask your blessings in Jesus’ Name, Amen.