Disengaging

About every few months, Susan and I like to get away. Usually it's for one night and a day. But this past weekend, she insisted that we spend an entire weekend away as a couple. She planned the trip, and did a great job. It was one of our best getaways ever.

Susan wanted to spend some time in Llano, Texas -- in the hill country. We'd never been there. She found a Bed and Breakfast nestled in a large ranch just outside of town. The Pecan Creek Lodge. Bill and Gene Miller are the owners. Very nice folks. Although the cottage was tiny, it was beautifully furnished and cozy (This is sounding like a travellogue -- "This is Jim Clark, for Texas Country Reporter.")

We got there at dark and so when we woke the next day we found ourselves on this large ranch with no one around except our hosts down the road. While I was sitting out on the porch reading the word and enjoying the peaceful surroundings, Bill drove up in his ranch vehicle (kind of like a little pick up), introduced me and asked if I wanted to go with him to check on the cows and hogs. "Why not,?" I thought. So I hopped in and let him take me to see the place. We passed groves (covies, packs?) of cattle, ponds which he said were full of catfish and bass, and wild hogs that he had trapped. Such a different world from my city life in Abilene, Texas! But so refreshing.

We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out at the cottage, walking around Llano (what a neat town), and shopping. Sunday morning we were going to drive about 70 miles to a church in Austin, but decided we didn't want to spend more time in the car. So we each had long quiet times and went on a walk to the pond while Susan read to me a new book on Sabbath that I bought for her at the conference in San Diego. We had such a rich conversation and prayer time concerning Sabbath, and how we need to regularly disengage from our normal activities and just "be" (rather than "do").

After breakfast we sat at the table and had a marvelous worship time -- using the ACTS acrostic as a guide -- Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We sensed the presence of Jesus in a powerful way as we praised Him, confessed our sins, had communion, thanked Him for how good He has been to us lately and interceded a long time for family and friends.

That afternoon we headed to Marble Falls, hoping to eat at the popular Blue Bonnet Cafe. Unfortunately, it closed 15 minutes before we got there. So we headed down the street to the River City Cafe, which turned out to be a great blessing. They seated us outside, where we had a beautiful view of the river and bridge below us. And we ate some of the best fried catfish we'd ever had.

At one point on our Sunday drive, we saw several people stopped by the side of the road, holding cameras or binoculars pointed towards a huge nest in a tree across the valley. It was the home to a bald eagle and her eaglets. I had no idea that our national bird lived in Texas!

As we drove from Llano through Kingsland, we stopped at a scenic point which was perched high above LBJ lake. What an incredible view! As we looked down on this lake with houses along the banks and boats gliding through the glassy water, Susan remarked, "People who aren't from this state could never imagine that Texas can be this beautiful."

I love getaways like this one we just experienced. Not just because of the new places we see. Or tasting the different food. And definitely not the shopping (don't tell Susan!). It's just that when I disengage from my normal routine I see things differently. Solutions to problems at work come to mind. New ideas for the ministry I lead emerge. Adjustments needed to be made to our lifestyle are surfaced.

I don't normally get these new ideas and perspectives when I'm at work or doing tasks at home. Most often they come about when I disengage from my routine and surroundings.

Let me urge you to periodically "get away from it all." It's always a tremendous boost to our marriage. Whenever I ask couples (especially those in the throes of child-raising) when the last time was they got away, too many of them tell me, "We rarely do." I want to say, "You guys need to get away soon." I've known of too many couples that have become so child-centered and caught up in the busyness of raising children and work that when the kids are gone they have no solid relationship with their spouse. This trend concerns me.

You may be thinking, "We can't afford a long weekend away." I'd say that you could save up the money for months and then take off for a weekend. Or just go to a park, the library or Starbucks for a Saturday afternoon. Susan and I sometimes go to Books a Million for an evening to drink coffee and look at new books. New ideas and perspectives on our lives often pop up when we spend a few hours in a bookstore. And to those who love to read, like us, it's so rejuvenating.

If you're not married, you'd still benefit by heading to a friend's house in another city for a weekend. We're just two and a half hours from Ft. Worth and have found that a long day there (going to museums, a new restaurant, the Omni Theater) has been very invigorating.

I hope you get to disengage soon. My experience has been that these times are so good for body, mind and soul.

Jim