REST

Good morning to you on this blessed and beautiful day!

I was reading some pages that I received in a little booklet when at the retreat last weekend. It said 17 Suggestions on the practice of Saying No: Sabbath. At first I didn't quite get it, if you know what I mean.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
Exodus 20:8

Sabbath means in dictionary.com:
1.
the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as the day of rest and religious observance among Jews and some Christians. Ex. 20:8–11.
2.
the first day of the week, Sunday, similarly observed by most Christians in commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ.
3.
any special day of prayer or rest resembling the sabbath.
4.
( sometimes lowercase  ) a period of rest.

Wikipedia says:
Sabbath or a sabbath is generally a weekly day of rest or time of worship.

I knew that the Sabbath that we have on our Sunday was supposed to be a day of worship and rest. But what these suggestions are saying is: "in a world seduced by the word "yes", that we should make it a spiritual practice to say "no." Now it is not saying no all the time. If we said no all the time we would get nothing done or do nothing. That is not what they are talking about. This woman is talking about taking time away from our everyday duties and taking a period of rest. What better time than Lent to bring the discipline, and the gift, of Sabbath into your life?

I will give a suggestion a day. The 1st suggestion is: Take a crayon or highlighter and color one day a week on your calendar with your favorite color so that you can't add anything to your schedule. Barbara Brown Taylor says, "As much as most of us complain about having too much to do, we harbor some pride that we are in such demand."

If you don't have a whole day to do nothing then do it for an hour or a couple of hours or for one evening. Shut out the world and sleep or read the Bible or go for a walk and praise God for His creation or when driving down the road turn the radio off and just praise the Lord and glory in His presence. But just rest and worship God. God can refresh you in even a short time. As long as your focus is on Him and not on the busyness of life, you can be renewed. 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

So, let us take some time in our busy lives to give to God moments, minutes, hours or a day or days to create in us a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us.

Have a wonderful day!

Les (lesbear)
 

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