Wanna Get Away?

“So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”  Mark 6:32

“Wanna get away??”

This phrase from the Southwest Airlines commercial always makes me laugh and answer, “Absolutely!” and although awkward or embarrassing situations trigger the question on the screen, my affirmative reply is because a fun trip elsewhere seems restful and relaxing.  Life in the here and now is busy and bustling and makes me crave times of quiet and closeness with those I love.  

We know God understands this desire because He planned a retreat with His boys Himself.  Jesus had sent the Twelve on a mission trip, and when they returned, they “gathered around Him and reported to Him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’”(Mk 6:30-31). 

A boys’ weekend was what He had in mind.  Down time where they could talk, laugh, listen, eat, nap, and just hang out in seclusion and privacy with no one around to disrupt or disturb.  “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place”(Mk 6:32).

But plans didn’t quite pan out.  Word of their departure spread like wildfire, and when their boat hit the beach, a crowd was waiting. “Many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them “(Mk 6:33).

Sigh.  We all know that feeling—the feeling you get when you have no more emotional energy to invest in anyone else and then the phone rings or the doorbell dings or you round the aisle at the grocery store or look up at the restaurant at someone is standing there wanting your attention or needing your care.  What should we do? Breathe deep and be like Jesus as He stepped onto the beach. He didn’t get mad; He started to minister. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things”(Mk 6:34).  

It’s good to get away with spouses, kids, friends, and especially God.  We need those times of uninterrupted closeness to strengthen relationships and increase intimacy, but when life won’t let you have a few days or even a few minutes by yourself, remember that what we are tempted to consider irritating disruptions, God deems as divine appointments. He will provide the extra energy we need to open our heart, mouths, and arms and share His love.

Get away when you can, but when you can’t, don’t panic.  God puts others in our path for His purpose, and we often discover that serving can be as refreshing as sitting.