Spiritual Benefits of Leisure

Paintings on this post by AugusteToulamouche 

Good Morning Dear Ladies,

Thanks to all of you for what you do for me, to help and encourage and the suggestions you send for topics. They are most welcome. Thank you, who post such helpful comments.  

Today I am writing about the possible  spiritual benefits we ladies of the home might receive from our holidays or outings away from home. Naturally we must go out regularly for supplies, errands, making calls on others for various reasons.  During these times we will not be able to tend to things at home, but we may still be concerned with the home and glean something for the home from these outings.

I do not know if there are other ladies who think like this, but I have always used my vacations and outings with an eye toward improving my family home life when I returned to my house.  I see people coming home from camping trips or expensive tours who are none the wiser nor refreshed after such holidays.  Often the vacationers have had fusses and fights with other vacationers, and campers who have had a quantity of campfire smoke in their faces and amplified noise from other campers, return home more tense from the experience. 

Many years ago, the older generation would teach the value of getting away to "a place apart" like Jesus did, (Matthew 14:23) in order to spiritually refresh ourselves.  We younger ones grew up with that thought in our minds: that we were not vacationing just to have "a mess of fun" and live a riotous life for two weeks, but we were to have some rest and relaxation with God in mind. While we enjoyed getting away from work, and our mothers were relieved for a time from housework, family members in general knew they would be also privately communing with God as they walked and enjoyed nature or went to dinner in a nice place.

One of the ways I benefit from when I have to be away from home is getting refreshment to come home and enhance our home life and add elements to the house that will make it an appealing place to stay.  I look at what others are doing and what kind of food they prepare.  I enjoy observing  the different ways things are done in other places.  In shops I look for teacups or mixing spoons and specialty cookbooks.  I like to bring home a fourth yard of special fabric from the place I am visiting, to use as a table runner or something else.  Thinking of the home will start to be natural as your mind becomes focused on how you are going to improve things when you get home.

A truly beneficial time of leisure can give a lady new ideas for the home.  My friend, Angela, the owner of Angobys where I stayed in Australia, said her trip to Europe recently gave her all kinds of ideas for changing things in her bed and breakfast. She came home with a fresh eye for table settings and room arrangements. She refreshed the look of all her rooms, changed the look of the linens on the beds, re-arranged furniture and re-located wall arrangements.  She agrees with me that even an outing into town to re-stock supplies or taking a basket of food to someone  can revive interest in the home.

Since I spoke of my childhood friend and her guest house, I am including her recent Afternoon Tea setting here. I am sure this was delicious and will try to get the names of the sandwich fillings.

Afternoon Tea at Angobys: Angela and I traded a deal of ideas that helped each other see things at hem with a new heart and new eyes.

A quilt I saw while shopping: gave me a new idea for bringing out one of my old ones and draping it a different way in my house.

It has been said that a true outing will be re-creation, and that the purpose of getting out for a few hours is to come home revived and ready to do well.  It is for the purpose of focusing on things that are lovely and good, which is so important for our spirits. If you have a tea room in your area, I would encourage you to take someone with you and enjoy the change of place.

When a time away is done only for worldly pleasures, the experience is not as lasting or beneficial as when it is approached from the viewpoint of enhancing the home. Taking time away in "a place apart" (Matthew 14:23) has the spiritual benefit of a renewed mind.

Please be sure and leave your comments on this important subject!

Lydia