leisure & success

Dec 29, 2024

..

“Having spare time for leisure
was a sign of a successful society”

These post Christmas days have been unexpectedly quiet for me. A rainy Boxing Day gave a good opportunity for some reading adventures – including deepening my discovery of James Joyce and after a couple of his novels I’m hooked. Any other fans out there?

Today (Saturday) the sunshine gave an chance for gardening, lawn repair, and breaking in a previously-wilderness part of the section. Very satisfying work.

In these days I’ve realised how often I spend spare time or days off simply catching up on stuff and that’s rarely relaxing.

Then after a hospital visit as I was strolling without haste past the Antigua Boat Sheds in Christchurch (for more than 140 years a commercial operation renting boats for Avon river cruising) I took time to read the tourist-info signs on the wall of the shed.

The message I received was loud and clear.

Too often I slip into society’s default setting of busyness. Everyone is busy – and a busy day is often endured as a a sign of personal worth and even a badge of success.

But perhaps this compulsive activity is an unhealthy symptom in an troubled society?

No need to write about it any more – I’m off to savour this leisure.

 

5 Comments

  1. A great reminder John, thank you. I’m thinking that if I can’t relax a bit at this time of year after the mad rush of ‘getting all those pre Christmas jobs done’, then I’ll be sadly out of practice for how I might relax later on as work ramps up again in the New Year.

    Reply
  2. I am very mindful of the need to intentionally factor in my rest and leisure time daily, to balance doing God’s work with frequent opportunities to press my ‘ pause button’. Taking time to stop and savour God’s wonderful creation allows me to fill up my cup, to truly appreciate His goodness and many blessings, freely gifted. I actively filter out the nosie hustle and bustle to finely tune my senses to magnify hearing bird song, wind rustling the trees or fallen leaves, the patterns and shapes of clouds in the sky, the sound of rain beating against my window, the plethora of colour, texture and form of flowers and shrubs, admire veges growing that sustain. Even little weefs can be pretty. This time of immersion in, accompanied by admiration and reflection of, creation, that I gm privileged to enjoy fills me with immense gratitude.
    Our God is truly an Awesome God.

    Reply
  3. Enjoy your leisure time John. I agree we do not value it enough today.

    Reply
  4. I was once one of the afflicted, fortunately I let the Lord lead me to periods of productivity in the vineyard between the more restful moments, a most suitable arrangement as highlighted in Matthew’s gospel 11:28-30
    “ Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.”
    Ulysses, by James Joyce is well worth a read .

    Reply
  5. I ofen try and reflect on what I’m doing (or not “doing”) on Sunday so that it actually is a distincitve day of rest. The Sabbath was made for man… Perhaps the easiest and most effective is just turning off my phone for the whole day.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

he tangata

he tangata

to recognise each and every person as the pinnacle of divine activity

culture & faith

culture & faith

Today we mark 184 years since the first signatures were put to the Treaty of Waitangi

retreating

retreating

My suggestion is that in a time of retreat what we are retreating from is all that is not reality.

heartland

heartland

he simply sought to be fully with the one or two people he was with in any moment, and that was enough.

in the world

in the world

I was caught up in the drama and intrigue. I love a good story.