Vacations are not simply just a precious set of days to take a step back from the day-to-day routine of work. I like to think vacations are special days we set aside for opportunities. Vacations are days when we allow ourselves to do things, see things, experience things in places we don’t regularly go. And if you take a giant step back, you can see that a vacation, even if it’s only a long weekend, can be a time to find, live and appreciate the Gospel. It can be a time to find God. You might be surprised to find where God hangs out.

I recently returned from a vacation spent with my sister and my nephews. Just us. We hit the road early one morning and headed for what is billed as the happiest place on earth — Walt Disney World in Florida. God was there.

Along the way we enjoyed the foothills of the Applachian mountains in Tennesee, the buzz of the major cities we passed through and the excitement of fellow travelers we met along the way. God was there.

We enjoyed all the wonder and majesty that Disney has to offer. We marveled at what man can accomplish in creating a world of entertainment that involves all the human senses and where it’s sometimes hard to distinguish reality from the imaginary. The magnitude of the Disney creativity is almost indescribable. It is truly a marvel what men and women can create. It’s hard to wrap my mind around just how incredible humans are in the things we can accomplish with the gifts God gives us.

During our little sisterly adventure, we got to travel from one world of wonder to another. After the whirlwind of visiting the Disney parks we made our way to the sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Again, all our human senses were entertained but this time, it was by God Himself and not by Walt Disney.

The sun was as warm and inviting at the beach just as every Disney cast member was warm and inviting in each and every park. And there was no standing in line for the sand that gave us rest and fun as we dug holes and buried one another. The way the ocean curled and rolled and spoke its watery language as it sprawled out across the sand was as original as any thrill ride, 3-D movie or fireworks display. It was truly something to sit back and watch a new show, not machine-operated, every 20 minutes, but  constantly provided by God’s ocean birds as they swooped down for a quick dinner as the waves curled and crashed.

What a contrast the days became. For four days we were caught up in the busy flow of people waiting in line to see and experience man-made sights, sounds and smells that help you escape into worlds of pirates, storm troopers, princesses, cartoon mice and superheros. Then we spent days surrounded by sun, sand and sea breeze. The days were different, the surroundings sometime surreal, but the Creator was present at all and in all. And all of that was food for reflection — a food that only vacation can serve.

Some time away from the clock and the crowds helps us to appreciate the gifts God gives us. And even though most people of faith give thanks and spend time offering petitions for others in daily prayers, it’s those vacation days that really give us time to dream dreams, and turn our thoughts away from schedules, contracts, deadlines, phone calls, emails and meetings and turn them to thoughts of wonder.

On vacation, we also embrace the quiet, rest without guilt and take time for having nothing to do.

Vacations give us that special permission to immerse ourselves in the rush of a roller coaster, a blanket of music, the wealth of a museum or the vastness of an ocean. Vacation time gives us the opportunity to wonder about the earth and everything on and in it and ask the questions we never have time for. And God is there.

My prayer is that all of you take a little time away from whatever you do every day — even if you are retired from a regular job — and visit some corner of God’s creation. And if you can, share some vacation time with special people or reconnect with special friends and family.  Let the gifts of God surround you and give you a renewed sense of wonder and new reasons to rejoice and be glad in the days God has made.