Hammock

The other day I came home to find two nephews playing with hammocks on the back porch. I love a good hammock having discovered the “minimalist-style” backpacking hammock years before “Eno” was even a thing.

I bought my first Eno hammock about 12 years ago and it is still one of the best investments I have ever made.  I spent the extra cash with a less informed impression that it may be my “forever” hammock.  I was super bummed the day that hammock split, not because it dumped me but because it was officially through supporting me.  I was sad that our time together had come to an end but I certainly understood why.  For five years it had been right by my side, hanging out with every opportunity, and finally the fibers in the fabric had just worn out.  

Throughout my life a hammock has been my mobile sanctuary, a place of retreat, of sabbath…my “on the go” rest and renewal.  In high school, I would use one to stretch out in the woods and then get lost in the trees towering above me, all while gently rocking back and forth.  When I would travel on trips and retreats, hanging up my hammock became a ritual that always provided me access to solace.  No matter how hectic the world around me got, if I could spot a good place to “hang”, sanctuary was right there.

Life is full of wonderful things and many of those things also demand time and energy.  With so many aspects of life draining us, it is absolutely necessary for us to create time for rest and renewal.  It is essential that we put seeking moments of rest and renewal into practice.  Daily, and perhaps even more depending on what demands we face, we have to make time to slow down, be still, and look up.

‘Early in the morning, well before sunrise, Jesus rose and went to a deserted place where he could be alone in prayer. ‘  Mark 1:35

I haven’t shown my hammock much love this summer and I had not realized it. Fortunately, the boys reminded me of my neglect before I got too wrapped up in my own chaotic reality.

Even if all the other things you do are worth time and energy, be sure you are taking the time to slow down, be still, and look up.