The Vacation We Thought We Needed

“Honey, did you see the suntan lotion?” I called out to my hubby.

I was stuffing one last item into my suitcase, already anticipating the best cruise ever. We had worked hard all year. We had sacrificed, pushed through deadlines, carried responsibilities, and, if I’m honest, experienced more than a little emotional indigestion from the stress life had served us. Now it was time to escape.

As I zipped my suitcase, jammed with sundresses, sandals, and swimwear, I could almost feel the ocean breeze through my hair. When Hubby moved my bag from the bedroom to the front door, he huffed.

“What do you have in this?” he asked. “It weighs a ton.”

“Hey, bud, it’s girl stuff,” I replied.

And off we went.

When Life Finally Got Quiet

We relished every moment of that cruise. We delighted in exquisite meals. We walked along the beach. At night, we swayed to music and enjoyed the shows. For a few glorious days, nobody needed anything from us. No deadlines. No demands. No emails. No worries about tomorrow.

One night, as the ship gently rocked back and forth, I whispered in my heart, “Thank You, Lord.”

I remember wishing the week could last longer, or we could take vacations more often, or manage to slow down our crazy work routine and simply breathe. Then the last day arrived.

Going Home

We savored one more mouth-watering meal and scraped the last bit of dessert from our plates. And then it was over. The ship docked. The suitcases came out. The passengers disembarked. And just like that, we were headed home to real life, back to the work, the worries, and all the demands waiting for us. But this time, something was different. On the drive home, I felt another kind of breeze. Not on my skin. Through my soul. And suddenly, clarity came.

What If We’ve Been Living Backward?

I realized I had been walking through life backward. Perhaps you know what I mean. We work so we can eventually rest. We chase success so we can eventually enjoy life. We accumulate so we can eventually have enough. We push ourselves to the limit, believing that someday, when the project is finished, the business is thriving, the bills are paid, and everything finally settles down, we’ll have peace. But what if peace isn’t waiting for you at the end of your to-do list? What if you’ve been looking for your next port of call in the wrong place?

God’s Different Way of Living

God didn’t create us to spend our lives simply living to work. He invites us to live according to His plans, directed by His purposes and measured by His standards, not by the endless demands of a world that constantly tells us to do more, achieve more, and become more.

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

That realization changed something in me. I embarked on a permanent vacation from worry and fear. Not because life suddenly became easy, or the storms disappeared. But because I changed who I trusted to navigate them. I began carrying a different kind of luggage. Instead of bags filled with anxiety about tomorrow, I began packing my soul with trust in God. I stepped aboard the cruise ship of His promises, and I discovered something I had been missing for years.

Peace Was Never at the End of the List

Peace doesn’t require a passport. It doesn’t depend on the balance in your bank account. And you don’t have to wait for your next vacation to experience it. You can find peace right in the middle of the deadline, the difficult conversation, the unexpected bill, the family crisis, or the season that feels like more than you can handle.

Because sometimes, the vacation your soul needs isn’t a change of scenery. It’s a change of perspective. It’s choosing to stop carrying what God never asked you to carry. It’s trusting Him with tomorrow so you can be fully present today.

Hand God the Luggage

And perhaps that’s the greatest vacation of all. Not escaping your life, but learning to live it with a soul at rest. So, if life feels like a full-time job with no vacation days, maybe you don’t need to book a cruise. Maybe you need to pause, take a deep breath, and hand God the luggage you’ve been carrying. Let Him handle the worry, carry the fear, and definitely let Him navigate the storm.

And you? You can finally breathe. Because when God is at the helm, peace can become your permanent port of call.

A Prayer for Peace

Heavenly Father,

I give You the worries I’ve been carrying and the fears I’ve been trying to manage on my own. Help me trust You with tomorrow so I can be fully present today. When life feels overwhelming, remind me that You are at the helm. Teach me to release what You never asked me to carry and rest in Your promises. Fill my heart with Your peace, steady my soul, and help me breathe again.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thank you for being here, for reading, and for sharing this journey with me. May you remember that you don’t have to escape your life to find peace.

When God is at the helm, you can finally breathe.

Janet P. Eckles