Article July 24, 2000 Issue

Vacation time? Pack some prayers

Make your trip a spiritual adventure.

By Rosalie E. Dunbar

We were on vacation in the White Mountains of California when my friend became ill. It wasn't clear just what the problem was, but we knew that spending the night in a tent at 8,500 feet wasn't the answer. We had to find a motel room, even though we had been warned that September was hunting season and all the rooms would be taken.

As I drove down the mountain, my friend sitting pale and quiet beside me, I prayed both to calm my own fears and to receive guidance from God. Driving past "No vacancy" signs, I thought of how Jesus' parents looked for a place to stay just before he was born. I knew God had provided for them, in an unexpected way, and that He would provide for us. But to hear His voice, I needed to calm down and trust His infinite resources more fully.

We had done quite a lot of praying prior to this trip. That might seem unusual, since a vacation is usually a time for fun, and prayer, on the other hand, is often associated with solving problems. If prayer is for times when we're in trouble, why pray when we're not?

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