Expectations for a year "off"
A lot of people might think that we are going on this nice big adventure so that we can chill on a beach for 8-10 hours a day and eventually come home with fresh perspective.
As much as I'd like that to be true, I fear that there is going to be a lot of work before we get those sought after beach hours. We are starting to mentally prepare for that part, and the fact that it most likely won't be comfortable, will be filled with uncertainty and the outcome might not be what we had planned. But doesn't that sound just like your own life right now? Like every life, every day? We will have just shaken up our location and our creature-comforts and be living a little leaner than normal.
We want to treat this time much more like a sabbatical, which in its purest form is a ceasing from work, to take a rest, to recalibrate.
Yes, this sounds like just the thing for us, though don't think we're expecting an easy ride. We understand that parts of this adventure will be hard work and look nothing like a "break" at all! But it will be a change. It will be an upset in our schedule, shedding light on our priorities. It will be a time to weave our family closer despite all the ups and downs. For us, that is worth it, that's the point: to take a rest from normal and see what else is out there.
Life can't be just about finding the partner, getting the house/job/kids/car of your dreams and then burning your days away paying it all off... can it? There has to be more than that.
We are going to use this year to test the theory, to work hard at taking a break. To dig deep into the idea of "rest" and what God meant by the idea. Is this a concept our western culture has lost? Is it worth pursuing? Can it actually change a person's perspective on life?
Let's find out.
Write a comment
Jody (Tuesday, 26 July 2016 11:14)
I'm so excited! This will be an adventure like nothing else and I (along with many others, I'm sure) applaud you for being brave. This isn't an easy decision, and stepping out of the comfort of the day to day is scary! Good for you guys, this is really very cool :)
Kristianne (Wednesday, 27 July 2016 01:01)
I can't wait!! So excited for you. I can totally relate and dream of this for my family. I can't blog about it because we don't want my husband's work to find out until it's the right time!