By Melanie Mar Chow

Now that summer and vacations are almost a memory, I thought to share about a simple but important role of vacationing: to help us recover when we face life’s challenges.

Traveling is often fraught with surprises. As drivers make sudden U-turns in front of us, it begs prayers in utter panic in the fear of meeting head-on. Being spared from an accident is quickly acknowledged and composure restored, directing our thanksgiving for God’s protection.

Two of my favorite vacation places provide reflection and experiences that challenge my intelligence but help me return to jobs and daily life feeling refreshed. These places involve a challenge or two for some because they require air travel and a cross-cultural experience. They also are evidence of God’s goodness and blessings in great food and new things to experience.

Hawaii would not be humid without rain. After a 13-year absence, a vacation opportunity fell into our laps.  Each day included a daily awakening to a morning greeting of the song of raindrops on our roof. The tropical climate we enjoyed could not been present without rain. This rain was a by-product of Hurricane Dora moving 500 miles south of Hawaii, causing an extra hour flight delay at the Big Island airport before we could arrive at our Oahu destination. We also were delayed at our layover in Kauai before heading to the mainland. Resilience is being able to the rain and delay as a gift, seizing the opportunity for another last Hawaiian meal and souvenirs at the airport.

On a more sober note, we are learning how resilient the people of Hawaii are from the tragic results on the neighboring island of Maui in the aftermath of the hurricane and wildfires. News also came to pray for the Big Island and the lava flows. These stories made me think that people bounce back and return to jobs after life-changing vacations because of resilience to the ebb and flow of life.

My other favorite vacation spot, Florida, guarantees — almost every summer day — a gift of a thunderstorm. This was not just a mere shower but a “wet through to your underwear” downpour. Unless you are with intercessors who have the Spirit-led faith to postpone storms, you will get wet.  On my first trip to Walt Disney World, the thunderstorm led me to annoyance and frustration, which was detrimental to our vacation. I was short-sighted, yet had I done homework, I would have known thunderstorms were a gift to keep Florida green and lush. I now welcome these storms when I attend meetings in Florida, as they can also facilitate our resilience to deal with the heat — for example, keeping us indoors to linger longer over lunch, or to nap little ones before walking and seeing tourist sites.  

The phenomena of rain is similar to our psychological response in a challenging situation — often, a good ugly cry. The pause of the nasal-teary, Kleenex-required messiness can allow for redirected emotions. The physical release of tears gives time to clear emotions and enables me to return to face the challenging situation, ready to process hurt or misunderstanding in a relationship with God’s help.  I alone cannot be resilient.

One example of resilience to recovery in travel is the use of technology. Apps like Waze help map out a course and give invitations for course corrections to periodically resolve the hazards of accidents or traffic while allowing redirection to a better route to our destination. Apps allow for prompt arrivals and give time to warn those who wait for us. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is like a spiritual app to redirect us towards daily resilience in God.

The call of God is for us to return to His ways to be reminded of what He intended and not to stray away from fully trusting Him. We can yield to Spirit-given resilience to move forward in Christ to live in God’s ways.  The redirection of our responses to rain is definitely a great reminder of the need to embrace resilience.

³ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. ⁴ We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. –2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 NIV

Rev. Melanie Mar Chow serves God through Asian American Christian Fellowship, the campus ministry division of the Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS). She has been an ordained American Baptist minister since 2004. A Pacific Northwest native, she currently lives with her husband and daughter in Southern California.