So, it looks like we have some extra time on our hands. Now to be fair, our family’s routine has not changed as radically as some. We normally spend much time at home, doing school, housework, and play.

We are missing our trips to the local library, weekly trips to grandparents and seeing church family. Other than that, we are largely good with being at home.

However, when you consider all outside meetings have been cancelled, it really makes me think, “How is my rest different from just being home?”

I have begun to realize, one of my definitions of rest was for the entire family to be at home. Well, we are home…all of us…all the time…for the next few weeks.

In contemplating this with the Lord, He is showing me ways to set apart a sabbath day. The following four aspects based largely on this article from Emotionally Healthy Disciple help to alleviate legalism in order to focus on the idea and motivation behind Sabbath.

Stop

Honestly, this is probably the hardest aspect in my opinion. I tend to do a lot of, just one more thing. It comes out of good intentions: let me get the dishes done, just one more load of laundry, let me tidy up the living room real quick. The next thing I know, the weekend is gone.

I believe this step is easier when there is an event that begins the stopping. I remember reading in The Messianic Church Arising by Robert Heidler, that his family (when kids were around) would gather together on a Friday night, order pizza and watch a movie. This is a wonderful example of a starting event to a Sabbath rest.

In the early church, all Sabbaths were started with a dinner and the lighting of candles. In our world, setting aside one night a week to have a special dinner together, be it pizza in the living room, or a dinner at the table with candles, sounds like a wonderful beginning to our time of rest.

This aspect, beyond legalism, reminds us that the world will continue to work if we stop for a day. God is still in charge, and He can handle it for a day without us!

Rest

Once we stop, we can accept God’s invitation to rest. This is where we have to remember rest to me will likely not look like what rest is to you. It can look like napping, hiking, reading, eating good food. We have the benefit of Holy Spirit with us to guide us on which activities are truly rest to us.

This is where being in the house a lot becomes tricky. I don’t have a job outside of the home and so simply ceasing from paid work doesn’t really help me. Most of my work is monetarily unpaid! However, there are things throughout the week that I consider my work: dishes, laundry, tidying, dusting, tutoring, etc. These are the things I will steer clear of, and yet these are the tasks that tempt me the most when in the house.

This is where I have taken to trying to spend a large amount of time outside on my rest days, enjoying His creation, which brings us to the next aspect.

Delight

I alluded to this aspect of delight in my last post Rest. Our day off with the Lord is a time to delight in His presence. It is a time to be with Him, and enjoy His company. (This book by Dutch Sheets is great regarding Enjoying the Pleasure of His Company.)

We can also see from the account of creation, a pattern set by God. That pattern is to rest and celebrate creation. God looked at what had been made and rejoiced in it. He took time to enjoy creation. That is an aspect I wish to incorporate into my day of rest.

I have never been much of an “outside” girl, but I am beginning to see that creation was made for me and I was made to benefit creation. This makes me want to learn to be outside in nature and enjoy what our amazingly creative God spoke into being.

The point to this aspect is to find what brings delight to your heart, and partake in those actions. Lately, I have had the opportunity to spend time scrapbooking with my daughter. Yes, it makes a mess, but that can be cleaned up the next day. It is worth it because I find delight in spending time with my daughter, which ultimately brings me to thanking Father for all that He has brought to my life.

Contemplate

I find myself doing this aspect as I sit outside on my back porch enjoying nature. A nice cup of coffee, fresh air, beauty in nature, and occasionally a family member outside with me. Yes, contemplation upon the One who has created all of this, for us.

Pondering the love of God to us and the world is a central theme of Sabbath. The article I mentioned above from Emotionally Healthy Disciple states contemplation this way:

Sabbath is an invitation to see the invisible in the visible – to recognize the hidden ways God’s goodness is at work in our lives…On Sabbath, we intentionally look for His grandeur in everything from people, food, and art to babies, sports, hobbies, and music.

Contemplation is an extension of delight. It takes delight one step further into the realms of thanksgiving, awe, and wonder of the love from our Father.

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Please know that I have not “mastered” the implementation of Sabbath. What has changed is both my desire to try and my understanding that this time of rest is both a gift and a gift stolen. With the Lord’s help, I desire to learn how to implement at the least, these four aspects into my intentional time set apart with Him.

If you choose to walk the path of learning Sabbath with the Lord, may He bless you beyond measure with wisdom, understanding, and love.

Blessings, my friends.