Where Are You Going?
That’s a question that gets asked a lot this week before spring break for both Plano ISD and Allen ISD. The common assumption is that physically going somewhere—Padre Island, Gulf Shores, Big Bend, the Ozarks, etc.—is what defines a "break." Those destinations certainly make for great getaways, but they are not the only definition or destination of a "break."
A break can also be an interior journey, one that takes us away from the mechanical, extraverted, planned, productive, and sometimes exhausting movement of our lives. A break in this sense means pausing for a moment, being still, and remembering that God is God (Psalm 46:10). This is the gift of daily, focused prayer—perhaps especially in this Lenten season. Breath prayer, Lectio Divina, and contemplative prayer are all methods that allow us to journey with the Holy Spirit alongside still waters. Sometimes, this kind of break can evolve into a new pattern in our spiritual journey.
Member Dorothy Cline shared how she and her late husband, Rick Cline (I miss Rick a lot), came from Church of Christ and Baptist backgrounds early in their relationship. By happenstance, they found themselves at FUMC Plano. It was a break from what they had always known—one that allowed them to experience the grace that is central to our Wesleyan theology and lived out by the people of FUMC Plano. This was a noticeably different Christian experience from what they had always known as “church.” Coming to FUMC Plano on a break ultimately became a new path for their spiritual life together. I told her how surprised I was to hear that because, to know her and Rick was to know nothing but grace and graciousness. That’s what an interior break—an inward journey —can do to a person!
So don’t despair if you’re not physically traveling somewhere for spring break. In the quiet of a favorite outdoor spot or an indoor prayer chair, there is a journey waiting to be taken with an unknown destination, except that it will bring you closer to God, to others, and to yourself.
Where are you going?
Breathe peace,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
