We're turning the corner now into autumn, and then quickly into winter. The dark nights, cold weather, and the increased fuel bills. But anyway, hopefully you enjoyed last weekend to the full, and though many may have had to work, for others maybe there was ample opportunity for rest and relaxation.

Like me, do you feel holidays are important? There's something special about a holiday. As a child I used to go to Withernsea, and I can remember the excitement as the holiday grew closer.

This year we'll be camping, and it's great to see how my young family now have that same excitement I had. I'm just praying that there'll be few tiny wet blobs coming out of the sky, because those dropping at a fairly constant rate do little to amuse when under canvas (as we found out only too well last year in Wales, where the site almost became Boscastle MkII overnight).

The most important thing about a holiday though is that it's a time of rest, and this is a principal found in the Bible. God tells us that for six days we shall work, but on the seventh we should rest. And did you realise that the origin of the word holiday is 'holy day'? These were days that were set apart for the worship of God – when Jewish folks stopped what they were doing, and spent time concentrating on what God had done for them.

So when we're on holiday we can spend the same time with God, knowing, as it says in Exodus 33 v14, that: "His presence goes with us, and that He will give us rest". Enjoy the rest of the summer!


By Steve Thomas, member of the Dewsbury Gospel Church – on behalf of Churches Together in Dewsbury.