Annual Leave Anyone?
Light For Life December 2004
Don’t you just love holidays? When it gets to around this time of the year, I have one friend who tries to stop herself from getting into that ‘holiday mode’ to soon! Its that relaxed, laid back, easy breezy mode, she can’t let herself fully relax till its really the holidays as she is a busy Mum. Once we get into that 'holiday' frame of mind we begin to wind down, but in the midst of the crazy end of year season it is not time to rest just yet! Are you someone who has your annual leave around this time of year? Are you looking forward to a good break away from the usual routine, the mundane, the regular? Did you need it a month ago? Yep! Join the club.
I am a Mum who is on the go, I run kids around, am involved in many different things and I work. My work is part time, and my holidays can vary - not as rigid as ‘nine to five’ workers; which is fine because my job and my work are just perfect for me but when it is time for holidays I am hanging out for them and more than ready for them just like you. There are many people who are self-employed, and mums who work at home and don’t have an official title and so don’t have official paid or unpaid leave. If you are one of these, you don’t get this time off so you probably just keep on year round, that is okay for a while, that is until you are in a rough patch of life.
If you have followed my ‘Light For Life’ messages throughout this year, you may have noticed that I have learnt a lot of lessons this year, and not easy ones. We have seasons where things seem to come at us from every angle; I think this year was one of those seasons. Part way through this year, when things seemed most stressed to me I had ‘had enough’ of everything. I got this bright idea, a plan to provide myself an oasis in the desert. Actually it was most probably God’s idea, but it came to me very naturally so it seemed like me! I decided to put myself on annual leave. How about that? How you ask? Can I do that? Yes you can, it was quite simple. I looked at my diary, which is usually very full, and I decided that I needed at least three weeks break – right now would be good and I noticed that after the three weeks we would be going away for a week’s holiday, which we hadn’t had for a long time. Perfect.
So, I didn't‘ book in any more appointments and I cancelled a few as well to free up my time during this period of self-appointed ‘annual leave’. If anyone asked me if I could do something for him or her, or make an appointment, I was quite happy to say ‘Sorry I am on annual leave’. That seemed to work well and it was refreshing too, I felt a bit cheeky. It was so great to have a reason not to do anything, and a purpose in having a break. It was during the school term, so it also helped that the kids were at school and the time I had during the day was pretty much all mine.
I started to wind down, and I started to do some things around the house that I had wanted to do for a while. I did some things for myself; things that I enjoyed like watching a movie, reading a book or just go shopping and writing!!!. I think making this time for yourself should be do-able for most people if you give it a go. Another way of getting a break is by giving yourself, even one day off a month or a night or two a month. It doesn’t mean that you wag school or shirk work; it means you on purpose, free up some time for you. I used to try and give myself the last Friday in the month off. I don’t work on Fridays so that was the day for me. On that day I would do my best not to clean the house, make phone calls etc, just for that one day and it made a difference and was a welcome relief too.
So it is possible and do-able. Have a look at your diary today and schedule in some precious ‘you’ time. Give yourself a break and enjoy something, it shouldn’t need to be a luxury; it should be part of our plan to look after ourselves and our families. Like the nowadays work ethic, with power naps and other adjustments to make employees more happy in the work place, so too, if we are happy and fresh, those in our environment will also greatly benefit as will we, and it will be smiles all round. Go ahead – give yourself permission and make some space.
Thank you for you reading 'Light For Life' and for all the wonderful feedback and encouragement I get throughout the year.
I am His mouthpiece and these are His revelations not mine!
Bless you
Cam
God's blessing on you for the NEW year.
I pray that in 2005 we can trust God more in our daily lives and surrender ourselves to Him in
leading us into each NEW day and NEW experience. I pray that God empowers you with His grace
each day and that you will learn to lean on Him and His provision, letting go of the old so that
He can release to you the NEW! New creations, new life, new love, new peace, new start,
new leaf, new hope, new joy. He can make all things new!
Word For Life
New:
Having begun or been made only a short time ago, not used by anyone before, different from the earlier things done, just beginning or to be begun, new, fresh, recent.
God’s Word
Isaiah 43:18-19
Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I will do a new thing now it springs forth; Shall you not know it. I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
