The Sabbath Experience continues

My front yard ... one of the places I find rest

I woke up at 5:00 this morning and decided to get a jump start on the day. Now, two hours later, I'm already starting to drag. Not good.

How was your weekend? Were you able to stop doing for awhile and simply be? That's tough, especially for parents with young children. When I talk about my Sabbath Experience, admittedly, it is easier for me to claim a day of nothingness and rest because I don't have a brood at home to care for.  That's why everyone must tailor their own Sabbath experiences to their unique situations. For me, I decided 21 months ago to forsake work one day a week. That means no email for me, because inevitably, if I open up my email, I'll see something from a client and I'll be off and running in no time trying to fill client requests. At least, that's how it was in the beginning. Now, I do check email sometimes because I may be looking for a personal response to an email I sent out. The difference is that I can now ignore business emails and leave them for the next day. The way I see it, if I lose a client over that, the client wasn't worth having.

If you do laundry 7 days a week, maybe your Sabbath rest will simply be not doing laundry one day a week. The important thing is to set aside one day per week where you consciously rest from your labors ... or at least some of them. I really believe it is essential for our health. As I mentioned in a previous post, the rise in stress-related illnesses has risen dramatically since the Blue Laws were eliminated. Too young to know what the Blue Laws were? Well, it used to be, in the old days, that stores were not allowed to be open on Sundays. There were no Little League games. Parents didn't have to spend Sundays taxiing their kids around. It was a day for worship and for family. People spent time together playing games, eating special Sunday meals, visiting grandparents. It was a special time. It was a slower time. It was a healthier time.

Life has changed ... and I don't believe it's for the better. That's why, after many years of my "having" to work 7 days a week, I decided to stop. What started out as a Sabbath Experiment became a Sabbath Experience and it's one I'm not likely to give up. It's better for me. It's better for my marriage. And, I believe, it would be better for you. Try it. I think you'll like it.

Sharing my Sabbath Experience with you,

Hana