Sabbath

Something that I have been learning about recently is the practice of Sabbath.  I always equated the practice of sabbath with the Lord's Day.  My husband preached from Luke 14 a few weeks ago, and in that passage we examined the sabbath principle.  Because Sunday is one of our biggest "work" days as the church staff, it's hard to think of Sunday as a day of rest like it was when I was growing up.  But I have also been realizing that I cannot maintain the speed and pressure of everything on my list at this season of life, so looking for a rest day has been in the forefront of my mind.

The word for sabbath just means seventh, so a true sabbath would be on Saturday.  Again, this is not practical for our family as a lot of ministry and ministry preparation for Sunday takes place on Saturday.  This has led me to evaulate what and when we could do to create a culture of rest in our home on a different day.

We had been taking a half day off on Mondays.  Ben often had emails or correspondance that needed taken care of on Monday mornings following Sunday services, and we tried to do a half day of school.  After the birth of baby #6, we have been trying something new.  Similar to the Jewish Sabbath taking place from sundown to sundown, we are being purposeful to make place for rest from Sunday night to Monday night.  This gives me Sunday afternoon to prepare ahead anything needed in order to ease the workload on Monday.  Monday night begins preparations for the new school and workweek, with planning discussions after the kids go to bed.

So what do we do for sabbath?  In Ben's message he pointed out that sabbath would have forced busy moms to take a day off and rest.  Meal preparation was done a head and there was no work allowed.  So I don't do laundry.  My kids don't do chores  (we do them Sunday night to prepare for sabbath).  Last week we cooked a coffee cake on Sunday to eat for Monday breakfast, and I scaled down the type of meal on Monday night so that it was simple and easy instead of complicated and full of dishes.  

Henry helped prepare for our "sabbath" day by making the crumb topping for the coffee cake.

We have been sleeping in on Mondays and staying in our PJ's for a prolonged quiet time in the monring.  I love this part.  So often during the week my quiet time with the Lord is rushed when the baby is off schedule a little, or when there are lots of interruptions, or if someone wets the bed, or whatever catastrophe happens.  Having space to just linger is like balm for my soul.  I can include some reading into my Bible study space, and the rocking chair is my new best friend.

We have been spending time as a family on Mondays.  Today we took a walk to the new library branch for some new books.  Last week we went on a brief hike while Elaine had a horseback riding lesson from her birthday gift.  Previous to that we did a puzzle and played some games.  We take turns entertaining Henry and doing something that is enjoyable to us.

Sometimes it is hard for me to not work.  Okay - most of the time.  I am a doer by nature.  When I think of something that needs done I just get to work.  But then I realize it's been so long since I read a book, or wrote a blog post, or did a hobby.  It has been good for me to take those things back up, even if just occasionally.  I have found that I am not swamped with laundry on Tuesday, and we can handle the extra school work spread out through the week just fine.

Also, I tend toward feeling self-sufficient in my pride.  I feel like it all rests on me to get done and I must keep working to finish all my responsibilities for everyone that is expecting something of me.  But taking a day off - especially when I don't feel like I have that day to give up - forces me to depend on the Lord to make the rest of my week sufficient to the work He wants me to accomplish.  This is good for me!

I think this is a good thing to teach our children too.  Many times I see the messes and tell them to clean up, or I enlist their help with laundry, cooking, setting the table, etc.  On Mondays we can just sit and do things together.  Since God gave us the example of resting one day out of seven, I want my children to know that you don't have to work all the time, but that when it is time to work we should be dilligent.  The Bible says that God knows our frames are dust, and I appreciate that He gave us sabbath to rest and understand that we are human, not omnipotent to do all the things all the time.

  

Today sabbath looked like taking longer making breakfast so that there could be helping hands.

What do you do to be intentional about sabbath?  Do you take a day off entirely?  Or a partial day and there?