A deserted place.
I am sure – you have probably seen pictures of a cabin surrounded by beautiful acre after acre of land, perhaps with a stream or a river running nearby.
No other homes in sight, no neighbors.
No fences, necessary… Just plain old dirt roads…if that!
Maybe even on a mountain side or in a valley – surrounded by all kinds of wild flowers…
Could you live there for a year?
Would you be willing to give up “all” the various modern forms of conveniences and technology?
For: A desolate place?
Deserted by Facebook and Twitter.
Deserted by computers and cell phones.
No TV reception. No cable. What about deserted by electricity? No daily bad news? Does that change your tune?
Deserted, desolate, solitary, barren, stark, isolated unfrequented and remote…
Remember those outhouse days? Anyone ever used one?
Not a fast-food joint for miles and miles and miles!
Could you be comfortable by yourself in that kind of a setting? How long would you last? How long do you “THINK” you would last?
Well, Jesus didn’t ask that “of” his disciples, despite living before all those modern conveniences…were invented.
But he did suggest their getting away to a lonely, perhaps to an isolated place – to get out of the trenches and to spend some alone-time.
Alone time being important time…
Alone with your thoughts…
Alone by yourself…
It was going to be a time of recharging. A time for prayer and meditation…
Some much needed time away…from everything and everyone that was going on…and that was 2,000 years ago!!!!
But note that he tells them to “rest a while.”
This is really-truly about “self-care.”
Jesus has care and concern for his disciples.
You have to “periodically” care for yourself. All things in moderation!
Not permanently, mind you, not for a year, not indefinitely, but for a while…all things need to be in check…
It was going to be a time to “recharge batteries”…or maybe better yet, a time for “filling the well.”
Jesus was talking about “personal” and “spiritual self-care.”
Connecting again, to the source of power…the source of our being…
“Self-care” is about keeping stuff in balance — the stresses, the demands, and all the expectations of yourself, both by you and by others…
It is also about the intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of life…
When these are “balanced,” we are happier, healthier and more in tune with our needs versus our wants.
An important part of self-care is “boundaries.”
A boundary is a guideline that determines the “appropriateness” of “certain behavior” in a “particular context.”
Boundary guidelines can be “written or unwritten.”
Boundaries are a form of “self-care” because they provide clarity, limits, and opportunities…everyone knows where they stand and what is to be expected of them.
Boundaries also help to free us from misunderstandings, pressure, coercion, and misplaced expectations.
Two danger signs that result from the lack of self-care—signs that could be precursors to “questionable behavior” and “permeable boundaries”—are “stress and burnout.”
Jesus wanted his disciples to be with him for the long run…and not to “Yell Uncle,” throw up their arms in the air and abandon ship.
He wanted them to hang around for a while. He needed them. They were an integral part of his ministry-team.
As are you! Remember to periodically take time for yourself. Set some limits, set some boundaries…
Just know that Jesus was totally “onboard with it.”
Sometimes, you just need a mental health day! And when you do, take it! Because you are more than worth it!
Amen.