Booking holidays and planning times of renewal

Reverend Steve Jones of the Mission Community of Exmouth, Littleham and Lympstone (Image: Steve Jones)

t only takes the warm sun bursting into view in an evolving blue sky, and a slight rise in temperatures, and the great British public will start turning their minds to thoughts of summer holidays.

The words ‘summer holidays’ seem to have such a stirring and warming effect on refrigerated and over-wintered souls.

The dream of the summer getaway can act as a powerful panacea for both troubled minds and worn-out workers.

The memory of that balmy summer day on the beach or the moor calls to us and rekindles our dormant hope of better days ahead.

Even now, as I write such words, part of my mind is daydreaming of a lazy afternoon under a sunshade, novel in hand, on a sun-drenched Majorcan beach. I wonder where the imaginings of a summer holiday might transport you today.

The term ‘holiday’, however, did not enter our modern language from the pages of a Thomas Cook brochure.

The word ‘holiday’ originates from two Old English words meaning ‘holy’ and ‘day’. A holiday (holy day) was a special religious festival (such as Ash Wednesday) on which people were encouraged to rest from work and devote themselves to worship.

In days before annual leave and bank holidays, religious festivals could help provide some respite for people from the relentlessness of work. Such days were a time to think about eternal things, about how one was walking with God, as well as a time to rest and enjoy being with family and friends.

These days of rest, in metaphorical sense, were very much for personal stock-taking, as well as for refilling one’s emotional shelves. Today, holidays are, of course, much focused upon time to get away, to kick-back, have fun, and release some of the pent-up stress that may have accrued in the preceding months.

This year, as you start to think about your holiday plans, I would like to offer a few thoughts,

in case they are helpful. Firstly, be kind to yourself this year. Most of us have accrued a significant emotional deficit this year.

By that I mean we are likely to be less resilient and durable this year than we have been in previous years.

So, why not plan a simpler holiday, with less travel, fewer variables, and less decisions to be made.

Less might be significantly better for you this year. Secondly, when you are selecting somewhere to visit, perhaps consider a place where you might be able to find some moments of peace, if you need them.

Whether you are nineteen or ninety you might be surprised how 2020 will catch up with you when you are away, relaxed, and with your emotional guard down.

Thirdly, do not despair if you do not have the finances this year to go somewhere and stay away.

We live in one of the most beautiful counties in the United Kingdom and Devon is full of hidden, beautiful, restful, and powerfully energising places. Have a look at www.visitdevon.co.uk and www.tripadvisor.co.uk to see what you may have so far missed.

Finally, remember those who might be elderly and housebound, or have serious medical needs, who are not able to get away anywhere.

Just a car ride with you to Dartmoor for a pasty, or a cream tea in Sidmouth, may feel like a weekend in Paris for someone who has been isolated for many months.

So this summer, when you are away from your normal routine, when many books have already been read, when you have had a little too much sun, when you have had your fill of rockpooling, when have eaten your fourth pasty of the week, when the cider is all gone, and when you cannot face another bowl of strawberries and cream, can I encourage you to think back to the origin of your ‘holy day’, and take a quiet moment to ask yourself, ‘Where am I with God?’