This past weekend, I went to southeast Oklahoma with some guys for a bachelor party. We got a cabin in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, an area that looks nothing like the rest of the state. One might think they were in Colorado or the Pacific Northwest.
The drive down there got me thinking - How far is too far to travel to feel refreshed?
Is it 10 minutes?
Is it 1 hour?
How about 3 hours?
Even people in Denver have to trip a couple of hours to get to Rocky Mountain National Park.
This weekend’s trip was about 4 hours, but it was worth every minute to get to the fresh air, the quiet and the low hanging clouds lingering in the valleys of the mountains. It was worth it to get away into a new environment, an environment that gives rest to the soul and to the spirit.
I often forget the lesson I once learned, that adventure is right around the corner, which is important, because I believe rest can also be found right around the corner. We don’t have to take plane rides or epically long road trips for great escapes that can reset and recharge us in seasons of fatigue. Certainly, 4 hours would be too far of a drive for some, and would be considered exhausting, which is why I ask you, how far is too far for you to escape to get the much-needed rest we all need?
Sometimes, it takes a journey to escape; it can take work to rest.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: If it’s 4 hours away, take the rest.