While this definitely is not my usual 'Weekend Wrap-Up' post that many stalker friends seek out every Sunday evening of the school year to see the weekend happenings of Laura, you are still in for a treat.
I would like to share with you something that has, I can say with full confidence, been life transforming. My friends, we're going to take a skip, hop, and a leap back to the vocabulary of our grandparents' day and explore the concept of keeping the Sabbath day holy.
Pre-college days, I thought the Sabbath was just one of those things in the Bible that really doesn't matter anymore, it was 'cultural.' This may shed some light into how I had been taught the Bible and its teaching, but that is beside the point. All I knew was that nobody around me placed emphasis on it so why should I?
Freshman year the idea appeared in subtle ways around me but never did I actually consider it's importance for my life. The following year however I was immensely blessed by a campus ministry position that focused very heavily on the spiritual disciplines, including the Sabbath. From then till now my attitude and practice of this holy day has undergone a radical change.
Let's be real, life for anyone at most any age and point in their life is stressful and busy. I am not going to try to use the college excuse to make my life seem so much crazier than anybody else's because in one way or another I believe we all experience this at least in certain seasons in life.
At first the idea of giving up homework, studying, and reading countless textbooks the day before classes was super daunting. I questioned the Lord asking, how can I do this? I need to keep up with my schoolwork. I want to glorify you through my academics but how do I do this if I can't do anything on my day off? I also have all of this other daily life stuff to catch up on, there is too little time in my day to give up 24 hours of it.
However I quickly realized that was exactly the problem. I was and am in a sense addicted to being busy, to filling my schedule with everything I can, and running away from quiet and stillness. Dorothy Bass writes,
"To act as if the world cannot get along without our work for one day in seven is a startling display of pride that denies the sufficiency of our generous maker."
The keeping of the Sabbath for me, which I believe can look different for others, involves worshiping with fellow believers, enjoying meaningful conversation with others at meal time with no other time commitments, taking a nap, going for a walk, spending time with those who encourage me, enjoying alone time with the Lord, reading books that get pushed to the side and replaced by textbooks, crocheting or sewing for pure pleasure.
It abundant with things that fill me with joy and peace and help me to better love friends, family, and the Lord throughout the next six days of hectic life. At first blush this discipline seems to be about the giving up of things, but ultimately it has become a gift for me that becomes about addition rather than subtraction. The adding of love, peace, joy, hope, and stillness.
My prayer is that you would take time to consider the implications of practicing the Sabbath and what it looks like in your week to week life. May our lives not be so consumed with things of this world that we shut out the very day the Lord has made specifically for restoration and wholeness.
Do you practice the Sabbath? What is important for you on this day? Do you have any advice for those who are contemplating the idea? Please do comment and share with us so we can learn from one another.
And don't fret dear friends, next week be on the lookout for the resumption of the 'Weekend Wrap-Up.'
Labels: faith, God, spirituality
