Sabbath . . . A Day of Rest

How many of us have heard the word Sabbath and thought of it as just a religious word. It is. But, there’s more to it than that. Sabbath does mean a day of religious observance and abstinence of work, kept by Jewish people from Friday evening to Sunday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday.

To observe the Sabbath means to take a true day of rest. Who of us really does that? We are all so busy running here and there. We work, volunteer, cook, clean, take care of our family . . . we do everything and take care of everyone else. But, do any of us really take care of ourselves?

One advantage of having a chronic illness is that you are forced to rest. Many times over the years, I have been reminded that I am not invincible. Another hazard of having a chronic illness is trying to do EVERYTHING when you feel good. I have found out the hard way when it’s time to take a rest stop. And, by rest stop, I mean I keep going until I can go no more, then I stop and rest. There is no shame in taking time to re-charge your batteries. This year, I have found a new way to re-charge. My cousin gave me an adult coloring book for my birthday. Coloring is very relaxing! I had forgotten how much I love to color. We all need to discover new ways to relax and re-charge. Remember . . . “Yesterday is the past. Tomorrow is the future. But, today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.” Use that gift to take care of yourself.

Sometimes life slaps us with a BIG reminder of where our priorities should lie. Without rest we cannot take care of the rest of our family. Crohn’s hit me with a BIG reminder for rest, this week. Most Sundays are bad days for my Crohn’s. I tend to do a lot when I’m feeling good. So, by the weekend, it all catches up with me. OR, sometimes, I think it’s part of God’s plan for me to need a day of rest on the Sabbath.

Reflection: What is God trying to tell you? Do you need a day of rest?