Jeremiah 5:22 (ESV)—Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
Last week I sat on the beach with my family, soaking up sun rays, boogie boarding for hours, and even stand-up paddleboarding. I reclined on my beach chair. I sat with my back to the waves with my niece, nephew, and sister, laughing as we tumbled, and spitting out the occasional mouthful of salt water. I felt rested and rejuvenated.
The ocean is about more than rest and fun, though, and this verse in Jeremiah adds to my perspective. The next time I walk on the sand, searching the water for rays, the next time I swim in the ocean, catching waves on a boogie board, and the next time I simply sit in the surf, watching the waves break, I’ll remember God’s power and stand in awe of the One who set the sands into place.
When the river tips over our kayak, God remains with us and plans to rescue us.
Jeremiah 1:7–8 (NIV)—But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
When I travel, I avoid certain activities. Kayaking, because I’ve tried and failed at it twice. Ziplining, because I’m afraid of heights. Diving, because I can’t breath through a snorkel tube, let alone whatever breathing apparatus diving requires—not to mention I sink like a rock in water.
I choose whether to do these activities on the basis of my feelings, both physically and emotionally. By not doing them, I feel safe and calm, which is important to me.
Yet these challenges don’t compare to those to which God calls us. At times, God calls us to situations we’d rather ignore even though we’d rather feel safe and calm. Perhaps God calls us to reach out to a friend even though we’re socially awkward. Maybe he plants the seed of an overseas mission trip in our mind when we’re afraid of flying. Possibly he asks us to give more generously than our budget allows.
Scary? Yes!
Uncomfortable? Absolutely!
But God doesn’t call us to watch us squirm in discomfort. He calls us because he handcrafted a plan for us, a sometimes awe-inspiring, sometimes awkward, sometimes easy, sometimes frightening plan. When God calls, and we answer yes, he promises us his presence. He stands with us, and he wants to rescue us in his time.
Jeremiah 30:18 (NIV)—“This is what the Lord says: “‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings;the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.’”
I love visiting ruins, standing between four incomplete walls and looking up to see blue sky. Ruins tell a tale of the past, what once was. The bones of ancient churches sit abandoned in the countryside. Concrete gazebos covered in vines stand in the middle of forests. Castles crumble beside lakes and oceans. The remains of these structures signal an end.
For God’s people, ruins came with a promise of a new beginning. In Jeremiah, God promised the rebuilding of Jerusalem on top of the ruins. The ruins became the foundation for the new city where the people would sing songs of thanksgiving and rejoice, and where the people would receive honor and respect. The ruins promised a final restoration in God’s Kingdom.
I am privileged to serve a God who rebuilds on the ruins rather than leaves them to the forces of nature. He stabilizes the bones of the structure. He strips away the vines and overgrowth from walls. He sweeps away the crumbling pieces. He builds a stronger and more beautiful future on top of the past.
Haggai 1:7–8 (ESV)—Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.
I have a confession: When I’m on vacation, I often forget to pray, to study my Bible, or to read a devotional. I pack devotional books or plan to read my Bible as soon as I wake up…but the ocean calls, the tour leaves at a specific time, or wildlife snatches my attention, and I promise myself I’ll do it later. Later never materializes.
Even in a time of rest, it’s important that we make God a priority. Building up the Lord’s house is a full-time job with glorious benefits. God takes pleasure when we include him in our travels. He wants to join us on our journeys. But more so, he wants us to remember to put him first, to honor him. He doesn’t want our excuses; he wants us to experience his greatest blessings—and we experience his greatest blessings when we prioritize our relationship with him.
So…new plan for vacation: put my well-meaning thoughts into action and bask in the warmth of knowing I prioritized God (perhaps while basking in the sun on a white sand beach). I pray you do the same in a destination of your choosing!
Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25 (ESV) Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.
Proverbs 11:25 (NKJV) The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.
When I think about refreshment in relation to vacation, I picture myself soaking up the sun while lounging on the beach, frozen fruit-flavored mocktail in hand and audiobook playing in my ears. Or I ponder collapsing at the peak of a mountain hiking trail and soaking in the view, knowing I completed the three-mile hike and survived, and now I needed to rest before the trek down.
I think everyone needs this type of refreshment. For me, the beach offers the ultimate in relaxation and hiking gives a sense of accomplishment.
But, I admit, I am guilty of forgetting to refresh my spirit while traipsing around new places. The views claim my attention. The yummy donuts and ice cream beckon me. The museums and sites fill my brain with information that I promptly forget after the vacation ends.
So how do I, as a traveler, refresh my spirit while on an adventure? Devotionals, Bible reading, and prayer, yes. Another answer lies in Proverbs 11:25. It is in the moment at the beachside bar when I have an opportunity to bless another and refresh my spirit.
Did I treat the staff with respect? Did I say please and thank you? Did I give a generous tip? Did I act in a godly manner, a manner that may bless another and, in turn, refresh my spirit?
Perhaps my kindness lifted the worker’s spirit after an encounter of the not-so-nice kind. Maybe my tip helped the worker to pay their grocery bill. Possibly my review, later in the day, on a website, earned a worker a raise or a promotion.
I may never know the blessing I bestow on another. And that’s okay. Yet, when I travel, I have to act with intention in my words and actions toward others. In this way, I partake in spiritual refreshment.
All that said, I close with this (slightly silly) analogy: Like a fruity mocktail satisfies physical thirst, a positive review, a kind word, a generous tip, an upbeat attitude quenches spiritual thirst.
While on vacation, we have every reason to rejoice. God has provided us time away to rest and relax from the normal rhythms of life.
Yet even on vacation we experience pitfalls. The rain pours down during our entire beach trip. Our tours get canceled because not enough people signed up. The hotel doesn’t live up to the reviews. The taxi takes longer than expected to show up and we arrive late to a concert.
Our feelings become a tangled mess of sadness, annoyance, anger, and maybe another emotion or two. At least mine do, at times.
For travelers, the book of Philippians offers an example of rejoicing in every moment. Paul rejoices in his hardship and encourages the Philippians to rejoice with him. If Paul can rejoice even in the face of danger, surely we can rejoice when our travel plans go awry.
Deep-down contentment lies in Christ, not in the sites we see and the restaurants we eat at. Yes, these events can provide pleasure, and if they do, we can rejoice! But that’s not always the case, and rejoicing in these moments can snuff out those unpleasant feelings.
For my past travels, I rejoice in swimming safely to shore after an unexpected dousing in the river, in spending time with my uncle, and in having a (now funny) story to tell. I rejoice in watching a baseball game and an unplanned overnight stay, after a bird roosted in the plane’s engine and caused a flight delay. I rejoice for the helpful bus driver who directed us to the beach.
Philippians 1:9–11 (ESV)—And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Paul’s prayer about love speaks to my traveler’s heart. While exploring the world, we have a chance to reflect God’s love, and it’s important for us to pray for more love. More love for the flight crew when our plane gets delayed. More love for the hotel workers when our room is not ready at the scheduled time. More love for when the weather doesn’t cooperate. More love for when service at a restaurant takes longer than expected. More love for the tour company that cancels our outing. More love for our travel partners. More love for ourselves.
More love! There’s never such a thing as too much love. Before you embark on your next adventure, pray for abounding love.
If Paul were to write a letter to travelers about generosity and tipping, I think he’d reiterate some of the same points he did to the Corinthians. He’d tell travelers to prepare in advance to give tips. He’d say tipping is an act to be done not out of obligation but with a willing heart. He’d point out that the amount travelers give does not matter as long as it comes from a heart that wants to give. He’d say travelers who give with a willing heart fulfill the material needs of others while fulfilling their own spiritual needs. He’d tell travelers that giving with a generous spirit gives other people a reason to thank God.
Whether we’re giving to the church or giving to someone else, generosity goes beyond giving—it’s about attitude and heart. Our ability to give and our willingness to give both come from God (1 Chronicles 29:14). As such, our travels deserve the same preparation that we give to other areas of our lives.
Generosity begins with spiritual preparation. Prayer brings our focus to God. The same as we ask a blessing before a meal, we need to ask for God’s blessing on our vacation. We can pray for those who will receive the tips and for the impact of the tips and ask God to prepare our hearts to give.
Generosity also requires material preparation. A budget helps us to stay within our God-given blessings. It eliminates the element of surprise, allowing our hearts to gain a spirit of generosity. We can prepare envelopes of tips for housekeeping, room service, and others who deliver services but do not charge us directly. We can also budget extra for those instances we receive exceptional service.
Before your next vacation, read and meditate on 2 Corinthians 9. What does God say to you about generosity? What do you need to do to prepare yourself to give with a willing heart?
Another Generous Act—Beyond a material tip, we have the opportunity to bless others through words. Give a shout-out to a particularly helpful person on a review website, describe the great service on a company’s survey, or tell management of the person’s hard work.
Tour Arikok National Park and let the professionals do the driving. A trip to Aruba is not complete without a visit to Arikok National Park. Book an excursion through one of the tour companies. You’ll be grateful for their expertise when your jeep passes the tourists trying to navigate the narrow, rocky dirt roads in their rental vehicles.
Visit as many beaches as possible. You may be tempted to sit on Eagle Beach all week long. Don’t do it. The other beaches might be rockier, but under the water they boast a plethora of sea life from palometas to starfish to sea urchins. The Boca Catalina, Tres Trapi, and Arashi are accessible by bus. For Mangel Halto, I recommend taking a taxi or driving a rental vehicle, unless you don’t mind trekking through a neighborhood.
Take taxis to restaurants, save for those in the resort area and downtown. In terms of walkability, Aruba ranks low with few sidewalks, save for the biking/walking path along the resort/hotel area. Several restaurants outside of the resort/hotel area and downtown are worth a taxi ride, such as Red Fish and Zeerovers.
Take the bus downtown. For small groups, the bus is a viable option to travel downtown from the resort/hotel area. The Arubus website lists times from the start of the route as well as any interruptions in service. It saves the hassle of parking downtown and driving through roundabouts.
Arrive to the airport early. While the low season allows for breezing through the airport, the high season may mean longer lines. I guess this from the barriers set up in the security areas. The U.S. terminal contains not one, not two, but three checkpoints. Keep out your passport for each, and either have it open at the photo page or allow the security personnel to open it for you. Don’t be the girl fumbling around, trying to open it to the correct page. (Not that I’d know.)
Carry cash. Know that your taxi from the airport only takes cash. The same can be said for some of the restaurants. The bus also accepts cash, but you can purchase a day pass or a round-trip pass at several locations (see the Arubus website).
Check your receipts. Some restaurants add a service charge to your bill. Feel free to tip in addition to the service charge.
That’s right! Those pretty palm trees landscaping the resort area in Aruba are imported! Not to worry, there are plenty more reasons than palm trees to vacation in Aruba.
Planning
I began this adventure with a flight search to any and all Caribbean islands. I wanted a beach, sunshine, and warm temperatures. I played around with the days of the flight until I found an agreeable price.
Day 1
On a Tuesday, we woke up bright and early, boarded a flight, and landed in Aruba in the middle of the afternoon.
First stop, the hotel. I chose to stay at a small family-run hotel, the Dorado Eagle Beach Hotel. Our room—one of ten—had a tile floor, a comfy bed, a shower (with local aloe products), and a kitchenette (with a full-size refrigerator).
Second stop—after changing into shorts and sandals—beautiful Eagle Beach, a short walk from our hotel. Arriving at the beach, I shucked my sandals and dug my toes into the soft, white (and surprisingly cool) sand.
After walking on the beach, we purchased bus passes from the Aruba Market and headed downtown for the Bon Bini Festival, where we learned the history of the island and about the language of Papiamento. The popcorn dancers, dressed in colorful outfits, entertained with their quick movements, and the marching band gave a glimpse of Carnival.
For dinner, we ate at Cuba’s Cookin’. The garlic shrimp, delicious. The clash of music from neighboring restaurants and live musicians throughout the marketplace, not so delightful.
I recommend finding one of the indoor dining venues if you prefer a quieter meal. I can vouch for The Brownstone Restaurant. We sat inside on another night and the noise level was much more pleasant. Also, order the Dutch fish and chips. Juicy grouper with a thin layer of beer batter makes for a yummy meal. Don’t forget the homemade lemonade. Or if you want a stronger drink, choose from the many whiskies and bourbons on the blackboard on the wall.
Day 2
Off to M’s Crepes, a poolside shack at the Casa del Mar Beach Resort. I had savory with sausage, bacon, and eggs. My hubby had sweet with nutella and fruit. We washed it down with mango smoothies. Afterward, we ventured to Santos for tea and coffee—a caffeine fix to fuel us for our day on the beach.
At the beach, I played in the water, listened to an audiobook while soaking up the sun, and walked along the beach. My walk revealed a rockier shoreline and further validated my choice of accommodation. Not a single rock dared mar our stretch of Eagle Beach.
Hungry after a day at the beach, we headed to the Red Fish for dinner. What an adventure that turned into! On the map, the route looked easy and one hundred percent walkable. Turns out Aruba doesn’t have many sidewalks, save the biking/walking path along part of the resort/hotel area. Still, we traipsed through roadside grass and across one roundabout, ending up at Red Fish. Totally worth the effort. I ate fresh snapper and my hubby had Mahi, followed by cheesecake and chocolate cake for dessert.
We absolutely had the restaurant call us a taxi to take us back to the hotel.
Day 3
I woke up earlier than my hubby and took myself on a walk along the biking/walking path, camera in hand. The beach became rocky shoreline with divi-divi trees and lizards skittered from my path.
After my walk, I stopped in at the Clover Minimarket at the La Quinta Beach Resort. I ordered waffles covered in coconut yogurt and fruit, as well as two fruit smoothies. Good wife that I am, I brought breakfast back to the hotel to share. But since my hubby did not wake, I stored his waffle in the refrigerator and his smoothie in the freezer, leaving a note that I’d be at the beach.
For dinner, we took a food tour, stopping at Patio, Ocean Opus, Cuba’s Cookin’, West Deck, and Ristorante Italiano Italy in the World. The West Deck was by far my favorite. With it’s wooden deck and laid-back vibe, it was exactly the type of restaurant I’d stop into without checking the reviews.
Day 4
Another morning walk revealed a quaint shoreline, an iguana, and a sign for a possible dinner option. After that, we spent a relaxing day on Eagle Beach—at one point with frosty, nonalcoholic drinks in hand from Coco Loco, a short walk from our spot on the beach.
That night, after showering off the sand, we walked to Po-Ké Ono, at one of the beach residences, for dinner. We walked along the bike/walking path until I spotted the sign again. The lack of a pedestrian crossing didn’t stop us. We crossed the road and followed another group of people up a path to the residences, through a coded gate, and into the building. I believe the main entrance is at the front of the building, along another road. Probably another road without a sidewalk. The point is, we made it.
Once inside, we sat at the bar. The menu is quite simple with a choice of poké bowls, sushi, or steamed baos. I enjoyed the pork belly bao and my hubby a sushi roll. Good food worth a ramble into the road and into an unfamiliar complex. (I later spotted another location at the Renaissance Marketplace. If only I had known about that location before.)
First stop, the Clover Minimarket, yet again, for breakfast. I can’t recommend this place enough. My hubby ordered a Chemex and the server made it tableside! In addition, we both ordered french toast. Turns out this is toast topped with yogurt and fruit, not the egg-soaked kind. Delicious nonetheless.
Stomachs full, we ventured to Boca Catalina Beach via the bus. This beach has a sandy entrance, flanked by rocky coastline. I recommend water shoes. The ocean floor boasts more than a few rocks in this area. I walked out into the crystal clear waters, armed with my Olympus TG-5, my fabulous underwater camera. Sadly, I did not have goggles. Still, even standing in water and looking down, I could see the fish. And the fish loved me. The palometas thought I’d make a tasty treat and ambushed my legs on more than one occasion.
To finish the day, we went to Ike’s Bistro for their Saturday Local Night menu. The menu includes two options: three courses or four courses. We chose the four-course meal, which included both an appetizer and fish soup, rather than one or the other. After three of four courses, we determined ourselves too ambitious. Not to worry—the server boxed our desserts and we enjoyed them for breakfast the next morning.
Day 6
Adventure Day! After coffee, tea, and breakfast at the Clover Minimarket, and a stop to buy goggles, we boarded the bus to Savaneta. The helpful bus driver asked where we intended to go and, at our stop, directed us to Zeerovers. A short walk through a residential neighborhood and we arrived at the restaurant, whose parking lot overflowed with cars. Inside, we studied the menu while waiting in line to order food. Our choices: locally caught fish of the day, shrimp, and a variety of sides. Having ordered fish for two, we wove our way through the wall of people (locals and tourists alike) watching the World Cup. We snagged a picnic table and waited for our food.
I proclaim this the best meal ever! The fish was covered in a light batter with salt and pepper. And I’ve never had a bad fried plantain. The cheering of fans for the teams in the World Cup added to the atmosphere.
After lunch, we boarded the bus (two busses to be exact), and headed to Mangel Halto Beach. After a skipped bus stop and a stop at one in the middle of nowhere, whereupon we stayed on the bus, we ended back in downtown Oranjestad. From Oranjestad, we boarded another bus. With the assistance of the helpful bus driver, we found our destination. We waded out toward the coral reef to snorkel. By snorkel, I mean that I took a deep breath and stuck my head in the water. An incident many years ago taught me that I don’t mix well with snorkel tubes. We stayed until sunset, watching the pelicans fly.
Day 7
This day marked another adventure, this time to the Casibari Rock Formations and into Arikok National Park. No, we did not attempt this ourselves. We used ABC Tours.
I can’t stress this enough: Let the professionals do the driving! Arikok National Park has narrow dirt roads not made for a normal vehicle. There are plenty of potholes to ruin a rental car (even one made for the rugged terrain).
At the Casibari Rock Formations, we climbed a set of rock stairs and were treated to views of the island. Second stop, Conchi Natural Pool, but because of the rough waters we did not swim.
Next stop, Fontein Cave, where we saw ancient cave drawings. The earliest date etched into rock was 1583. The road from here led to Dos Playa Beach with beautiful views. Again, too rough to swim. We ended the tour at Mangel Halto Beach for a little time in the water. The tour also included lunch.
Upon returning to the hotel, we procured beach chairs and towels and happily lazed at Eagle Beach until sunset.
Final Day
I spent the first few hours in the water, husband on the shore reading. Then, after washing off the sand, we took a taxi to the airport. Once at the airport, keep out your passport. At least on the U.S. departures side, there are three checkpoints. Have your passport open or allow the security personnel to open it for you. Don’t fumble around trying to find the correct page. (Not that I’d have any reason to offer that advice…)
