I’ve been gone for a while enjoying my vacation. I was very tired and stressed out, I was eager to be able to enjoy some time out to get some rest and recharge.

Years ago, I’ve learned one (or should I say another) interesting lesson about my relationship with God: He also loves to be a part of my time out, my moment of relaxation, my vacations, from planning to execution.

So what I learned to do is to allow God to tell me what should I do, if I should travel, where should I travel to, when, how, etc. I also ask for His guidance on choosing the flight, hotels, etc.

You’re probably thinking that I turned God into my travel agent, but it’s not like that. It’s like two friends planning a trip together. The difference is that I know that His suggestions are always better than mine.

When I first started thinking about this year’s vacation, I thought of going to a country that I’ve never been to. I prayed about it, but deep down I felt like going to the USA again. I wasn’t sure if it was my will or His, so I kept praying.

Then God used a friend of mine from work to suggest Chicago. She had been there recently, and she loved it. The moment that she said it, I felt God confirming it. So there it was, settled.

I confess I wouldn’t think of Chicago. I always thought of it as a big city with traffic and noise and people in a hurry, much like São Paulo. Why would I travel abroad to see what I see everyday? 🙂

But it was God who suggested it, so I should seriously look into it. I decided it was going to our (my sister’s and mine) destination.

It didn’t take long in our research to find that Chicago is indeed an interesting city with lots of stuff to do. Then we finished planning the other details (some other places we went to after) and when the day came, we went.

One other thing that I learned is, when I travel, I pray to God to bless that city I’m arriving at. That’s the least I can do, right? So when I left the airport, I silently prayed for Chicago.

The weather was cold (I was expecting it to be a little warmer in May), but still we were able to go sightseeing, we went to several top attractions (like Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science and Industry, Sky Deck, among others), and we went to a Chicago Bulls X Miami Heat game at the United  Center.

We had a wonderful time there, and Chicago is now one of my favorite cities. If God permits, I’d love to get back there again in the future.

I thank God for caring so much about me that He even plans wonderful trips for me (and in this case, for my sister too). And another great thing about it: He goes along with us!

But I trust in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands (Psalm 31:14,15a)

Question: have you ever felt God taking a decisive action in influencing you regarding your vacations or leisure times?