Oh yes, girls…you KNOW there is a big difference, right?
Well, I’m gearing up for our family summer trip and I thought of all of you as I was starting that massive “don’t forget to pack” list and of course, the “emergency entertainment in the car” stash of stuff. So, I thought I’d propose a Q that it would do all of us some good to stop and try to answer:
What are you doing to try to make this summer’s family TRIP into a VACATION?
Sigh. That’s a tough one. For me, I immediately realize where it all goes wrong (that is, turns into a TRIP and not a VACATION). It’s when I start letting my selfishness creep in and make the not-so-bad things seems awful and make the unrealistic seem like attainable reality. I start hearing thoughts like this in my head: “But I don’t WANT to do that…I want to _____…” or “Can’t we just do what I want to do for a bit?” or “Why do they have to _____ like that? It’d be better if we just _____.” There seems to be a common denominator…selfishness.
And, truly, when I stop and think about when most of my correcting/disciplining (read: losing my mind and screaming at my crazy kids) comes on these trips/vacations is when they are doing the very same thing…complaining about not getting what they want…arguing about what is fair…letting their focus land solely on what THEY want instead of the good of the group.
Huh.
That sounds familiar, eh? So for me – the answer to the Q is this:
Pray hard asking God to shift my focus off me and my selfishness. I’m going to beg Him to give me signals…open my stubborn eyes…when I’m setting the tone of selfishness. I’m going to try to assess my motives and really step out every day and jump in with both feet when it’s something that MAY seem like a less-than-appealing activity.
That’s my plan. What about you girls? How’re you going to approach this puzzle…how’re you going to make a family VACATION out of a TRIP?
Leave a comment…share some wisdom…or some laughs…or tears. Moms need moms. C’mon girls, let’s hear it…
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Girl, I don’t know. We are in California for a month and my husband and I are talking about going away on vacation with just the two of us in August. You just have to set realistic expectations where the family vacation is concerned. We are having a great time, but of course it’s a “different” kind of great time than if I were lying on the beach reading a book without a care in the world instead of watching the kids like a hawk and building sand castles.