Dear Friends,

Where Does God Go for Summer Vacation?

A little girl I know pondered that same question not too long ago. Sarah loved church and Sunday School. She went every Sunday with her parents. But when summer came – it all ended.

She didn’t understand why there wasn’t church in the summer; when in actuality there was church, but her parents just simply stopped going to church in the summer. The summer was their time off. Time to lounge in the sun; time to plan family vacations and weekends away. It was time to concentrate on rest and relaxation.

But for Sarah it was strange not to go to church. So one day when the family piled into the station wagon to go on a weekend trip, Sarah asked her mother, “Mom, where does God go for summer vacation?”

Her mom chuckled at the question and told her that God doesn’t go on vacation. But Sarah retorted, “Then why don’t we go to church for so many weeks in a row, why can’t I see my church friends?” Her parents weren’t really ready to deal with such a question. What could they say to her? God wasn’t on vacation, they were. Imagine her parents’ surprise when they realized their daughter had stumped them. They just didn’t know how to answer her question. But they were worried enough about it to look for the proper answer.

Until Sarah’s question, her parents thought church was only a 2-hour responsibility when there were Sunday School classes only. For Sarah, however, it was a different story. She lived what she was learning in Sunday School. Church was not an obligation to her, no way! Church was a joy and a wonderful experience to pray to God and worship Him and to be able to see her friends, who also enjoyed coming to church. For Sarah, church life was a way of living…a way of being.

So Sarah’s parents took their daughter’s question seriously and re-adjusted their life and summer activities. They realized they could relax, have time in the sun, even travel and still go to church as well. Both were possible and everyone was happy all summer long!

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With prayers.
Hayr Simeon
June 24, 2007