Time Out
Somewhere warm and near ocean waves has always been my preferred happy place. This year our little winter getaway coincided with the First Week of Lent and I felt a twinge of guilt before hitting the VRBO “request to book” button. Where was the sacrifice in taking a vacation? As it turned out, it was a great way to begin my Lenten season.
The season of Lent should be, by its nature, a timeout from our usual routines; a season of spiritual withdrawal to a place where we can draw closer to God in preparation for the Resurrection celebration.
Our recent trip served as a get-away from distractions and ingrained routines, which includes commitments to church, community and family. Not that those are bad things, but sometimes changing things up is just what the doctor ordered. I needed a time out to focus on simple things. Prayer. Sunsets. Walking. Loving. Gratitude.
This time out allowed me to enter more deeply in to so many positive things. Mike and I were provided an opportunity to work on the virtue of marital patience and improve on positive communication skills in the course of a long drive together. During our trip, we attended Mass three times. Our second day on the road found us at Saint Edward Church in Texarkana, Arkansas, attending Mass for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The church was filled with a wide variety of worshipers and the singing and music were lovely. I had a new awareness and appreciation for the beautiful familiarity of our Catholic liturgy that welcomes and nourishes us wherever we go.
On Ash Wednesday and for the First Sunday of Lent we were part of the congregation at Saint Andrew by the Sea Church on Padre Island, Texas. These liturgies helped give me a fresh perspective on the Mass and what it means to be “church”. I was reminded to be grateful for my pastor and people of our home parish.
Our week on Padre Island included daily 4-minute walks from our little studio apartment to Whitecap Beach on the Gulf. I had plenty of time outs to enjoy and be grateful for the beauty of nature and the relaxing break from routine as we walked the beach. It was a time out, as well, from wearing winter coats and layers of clothes!
So now, you may ask, what are my time out plans for the rest of Lent? I do know that I need to go to my inner room more often. I am looking for ways to close the doors to my mental “office” more frequently. I will work on time out from scheduling my day by the clock or the calendar. Limiting screen time is a constant battle. I recently read about taking a time out from your closet. This might entail purging one item for every day of Lent remaining. Donate the items instead of warehousing them. Or call a time out from purchasing additional items altogether. What kinds of time outs can you carve out in your remaining Lenten days?
This weekend’s Gospel reading is about Jesus’ timeout at Jacob’s well. The life of a Samaritan woman was transformed by her encounter there with Our Lord. It was a life-changing time out for her. May all your Lenten time outs refresh you with Living Water.
