A Sabbath from Sabbath

Vacation is supposed to be relaxing and rejuvenating, right?  Not necessarily so.  We've been in and out over the last few weeks with multiple-day trips to both Michigan and then Wisconsin.  We piled our 5 kids (ages 9 1/2 months-11 yrs) into our van complete with cartop carrier and have spent nearly 30 hours in said vehicle, counting all the running around at our desitination places.  On top of this is lots of time and conversation (some pretty intense) with friends and family, staying up late, playing Wii, a few sleepless nights for me, getting caught in a snowstorm with only windbreakers, fast food, still preaching a couple times & counselling in the midst of all this, and finding a dead bird in our basement upon our arrival back home.

Did we have a lot of fun?  You bet we did.  It was a blast and the kids were great.

Are we dogged tired?  You bet we are.

So I've been reflecting on how to properly rest.  God is pretty clear in both commanding and exampling "Sabbath" - a time for rest, reflection, & enjoyment of His goodness and blessings in our lives.  But you either Sabbath well or poorly.

Poor Sabbath is inconsistant (or doesn't ever happen), unplanned, unprepared for, busy (vocational work is just replaced by chores & errands), and plugged in (still on voicemail, email, TXT, Twitter, Facebook, etc.).  Coming back from a poor Sabbath finds you tense, exhausted, and edgy.  I am currently guilty of poor Sabbath right now.

To Sabbath well is have a consistent weekly, quarterly, and annual times of rest.  They planned and prepared for, so surprises are minimized and responsibilities are taken care of.  While you still may enjoy hobbies (gardening, reading, cooking, hiking, etc.), you take break from your vocational work as well as regular chores.  Also, in our information-laden, technological, socially-networked culture, the importance of "unplugging" is paramount.  One of the bright spots of my vacation last week was that for most of the time I had no cell phone signal.  It was liberating.

So, now I'm back from vacation suffering the natural consequences of not Sabbathing well.  I have some repenting to do and some rest to catch up on.  Please learn on my dime and make a point to really Sabbath well.