By Rev. Barbara Creelman
Linden Park United Worship Video – scroll to bottom
What did you do on your summer holidays?
It’s the classic back-to-school question. And this week, as I prepared for Sunday and reflected on the past month, I found myself answering it. I answered not as a student, but as a soul that needed rest.
Here’s what I did:
I rested.
I played games.
I worked on a jigsaw puzzle.
I walked.
I beached.
I picked blueberries.
I swam.
I visited with family.
I ate ice cream.
I went to a museum.
Nothing groundbreaking. No exotic travel plans. No massive achievements.
But in every one of those simple things… I met God.
🌿 Jesus Said, “Come Away and Rest”
One of the verses I’ve been holding onto lately is from Mark 6:31, where Jesus says to his disciples:
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
That invitation comes after the disciples had been out in the world doing ministry, helping others, and working hard. Jesus didn’t say, “Well done—now do more.” He said, come away. Rest. Be still.
And that’s what this summer gave me: stillness. Not always silence—but soul-quiet.
I wasn’t lazy. I was living gently.
The jigsaw puzzle helped me slow my thoughts.
The walk brought fresh air to tired bones.
The beach invited me to float, breathe, release.
The blueberries—well, they reminded me that the earth still gives.
🌞 There Is a Season for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that:
“There is a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance…
That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in their work—this is the gift of God.”
I’ve read that many times, but this year it felt personal.
This summer, there was laughter around family tables.
There was dancing—of the everyday kind: in the kitchen, on the trail, through conversation.
There was joy in each small moment.
And yes—there was satisfaction in the gift of doing nothing urgent.
🧩 Life, Like a Puzzle
One of the images that has stayed with me is the puzzle I worked on.
Thousands of tiny pieces, all jumbled and confusing.
Sometimes I’d sit for an hour and not find a match.
Other times, it would come together effortlessly.
Isn’t that life?
There are days when the pieces don’t fit.
Seasons when things go missing.
But slowly, steadily, God is putting something beautiful together—even if I can’t yet see the whole picture.
🍦 Grace Tastes Like Ice Cream
And then there are moments of pure, holy joy.
A scoop of chocolate chip mint shared with someone you love.
A lake that welcomes you like a baptism.
A museum exhibit that makes you gasp with wonder.
The sound of family laughing over a silly board game.
These aren’t distractions from the spiritual life.
They are the spiritual life.
God isn’t only found in pews and prayer books.
God is also in sunshine and conversation and dessert and discovery.
✨ A Summer Blessing
So, what did I do on my summer holidays?
I lived. I laughed. I rested. I remembered who I am.
And I remembered Whose I am.
And now I’m carrying that rest into the season ahead.
Let me leave you with this blessing. Maybe it’s for you too:
May the God of rest restore your soul.
May the God of play awaken your joy.
May the God of beauty open your eyes to wonder.
And may your summer story become a chapter of gratitude.
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