"Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.
Sabbath is a day when my work is done even if it isn't.
Sabbath is a day when my job is to enjoy. Period.
Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and those I love most.
Sabbath is a day I remember that when God made the world, he saw that it was good.
Sabbath is a day when I produce nothing.
Sabbath is a day when I remind myself that I am not a machine.
Sabbath is a day when at the end I say, "I didn't do anything today," and I don't add, "And I feel so guilty."
Sabbath is a day when my phone is turned off, I don't check my email, and you can't get ahold of me.
Jesus wants to heal our souls, wants to give us the shalom of God. And so we have to stop. We have to slow down. We have to sit still and stare out the window and let the engine come to an idle. We have to listen to what our inner voice is saying." -Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis
Sounds good to us, so we gave it a try on Sunday. We disconnected from the computer(soo HARD!), didn't answer the phone or read emails, completed no household chores, ran 0 errands, did no laundry, simply took a break from all busy activities.
SOO LIBERATING!! :)
Our time was spent being together, playing Uno, going for coffee, watching Winn Dixie, hanging in our jammies as long as possible, reading, talking, playing, laughing, napping...you get the idea!
It was a challenge to really slow down and it doesn't come naturally for us, but something worth perfecting! :) We are striving to simplify our family in a very complicated, overscheduled world.
We're looking forward to next Sunday already! Has anyone else out there tried this before? Anyone want to give it a whirl? Any favorite family activities to recommend?
Independent living
4 years ago
6 comments:
I am so happy for you guys! What a wonderful example you are! I can't wait to follow suit!
Love,
Sarah
Rachel, Sounds like a great day. I have that Living Simply book too (I see it pictured on your site), love her blog, so many great ideas. Good for you guys making it work for your family - we're still trying to get to that point....
Teri
Wow! Profound! I would love to try this... but, I'm scared. How would I get everything finished? It sounds so wonderful... I must give it a try; eventually.
Sounds WONDERFUL! I will have to see if we can give it a try one of these days!
I think I've gone the opposite direction: I don't stop no matter what day it is, thinking that I MUST get everything done and stopping would mean something close to failure.
Your day sounds wonderful! Maybe I should shift my thinking, too...
What a great idea....thanks for the reminder to slow down! We're trying to do Friday family night, but Damon and I are so pooped out that it's been hard to get enthusiastic...but the girls love it!
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