You may begin to think that every Sabbath has been an effortless and beautiful experience for me, but it hasn’t. After a few successful days under my belt I thought for sure this Sabbath thing was going to be a breeze.
The previous week I enjoyed a day of decorating my daughter’s room. This week I had nothing planned. Sounds glorious, right? That’s what I thought. After dropping my kids at school I took my time tidying up the house. I watched a You Tube video on hand lettering and practiced a bit. Then I sat down on the couch, in a sunny spot, and read my book. Eventually I took a nap.
To many, this sounds like the perfect day. However I am an extrovert, which basically means I am energized by being around other people. I rarely spend large amounts of time on my own with nothing to do so I no idea the impact it would have on me.
During the week when my kids are at school and my husband is at work I am busy working, volunteering, or meeting with my partner in Circles of Faith. Also, during our seven-month renovation various tradesmen have been in and out of my house daily. I not used to being alone with nothing to do.
I still had time to kill when I woke up from my nap. I felt drained and even lonely. I couldn’t wait until my kids came home.
I should have known better. I decided the following week I would:
- Have a plan.
- Invite a friend for lunch or tea.
- Read my book at the library or Starbucks. I’m likely see into someone I know and potentially strike up a conversation.
- Do something crafty and creative from my Pinterest DIY boards.
- Go for a run or walk.
Finding rest in the Sabbath looks different for me than I imagined. For so long I kept myself busy and thought doing nothing sounded dreamy. I was wrong.
Knowing what feeds our souls and refreshes us is an integral part of discovering who God uniquely created us to be. <<Click to Tweet
In the handful of weeks that I have been on this journey I have been surprised to learned:
- Sabbath is possible when intentionally planned for and committed to.
- Creativity fills my soul.
- Being around other people energizes me.
- It’s okay to have a plan.
- There are many different ways to draw close to God and discovering who He created you to be is one of them.
I had no idea that regularly taking a day of rest, as God commended, would be so fulfilling but also so enlightening.
You can follow me on Instagram where I post about the things I’m up to on my day of rest through the hashtag #DiscoveringSabbath
What you do on your Sabbath and what you have learned?
