"Coool iiit..." "Chilled."

SOOOOoooo we've been talking a lot this semester about the sabbath and what that means.  Interestingly enough, my friend Tamara has also talked about this on her blog, too.  Coincidence?  I think not!  I think that when God is trying to teach us something, he doesn't limit His communication to one mode or method.

Twice in the (amazing) resource group I am a part of we have discussed this topic.  I like it so much that I decided to chunk around some ideas about it with my small group girls, too.

The primary point I want to make is that God rested on the seventh day not because He needed to but in order to, as Lindsey, one of my brilliant girls put it, set the example for us. Exodus 20:8-11 NIV:

⁸ "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

  It's pretty simple and straightforward, right? But also kind of mind-bottling, right?  He knew that one day people would live in a culture in which rest is looked down on and business and work glorified.  Notice that in these verses He focuses not on the six days full of labor, but on the rest.  In a sermon we listened to that I can't remember the name of, the man suggested this was because the sabbath--rest--is the key to labor.  I agree with him.  This is an excerpt from an email Eli S and the rest of my campus pastors got from Winkie Pratney when he asked for his thoughts on the sabbath:

Nerves don't break down, they just tell the truth. Nervous breakdowns mean that people are pushed to more than they can cope, and that even good stress becomes bad stress. Muscles cannot be stressed to build them without a break - - - a rest in between reps. But Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Unlike God we do not have an infinite source of power, wisdom and creativity in ourselves. Even Jesus told the disciples to rest. God took a break because He knew we would try to copy Him and eventually die young without a break in our excitement to get more done. While too much sleep brings poverty, not enough rest can take you out of the war completely.

 And now, another point.  What the heck IS a sabbath these days?  Certainly its not a puritanical sit-up-straight-don't-smile and think-only-about-God day.  Winkie and the sermon we listened to suggested that on our sabbath days (because there is no longer a universal day of rest.  Sundays are especially not sabbaths for those involved in Sunday church ministries) we should take a break from what we normally do.  For example, if you spend all week working out your mind, it might be nice to do some kind of mindless task with your body.  I have it on good authority that Eli Gautreaux spends his sabbaths making knives because it's not something he has to think deeply about or be relational with... not gonna lie, that kind of freaks me out....  But you get the idea, right?  Do something to refresh your mind.  Do something that will also refresh your spirit and draw you closer to the Lord, because really, that's where we're going to find the most satisfying rest.

And you should know that I need to practice what I'm preaching!  It's so easy to say and so hard to do!  It's more complicated than it should be because, well, because of stupid sin.  What this looks like for me:  If I want to make my sabbath be Friday, then I need to make sure that by the time Friday comes around I have been diligent in my work so that I can take a break (and I'm a procrastinator deluxe..well, a recovering procrastinator deluxe.  I should give God some credit for ameliorating my character even though I have a long way to go).  And then, on Friday, I need to be intentional with my time.  It's tempting to lie around all day watching mindless TV and never make any plans (I hate making plans, by the way.  plans stress me a little), but honestly, when that day is over (I've spent many days like this) I always feel like I have wasted my time and I really don't feel that refreshed.  I do, however, need some veg in front of the TV time.  Ideally, I think I would feel most refreshed if I knew I could sleep in, veg in some way, and then spend some time alone with God and go on a walk or do something physical but not strenuous and taxing.

Wow this turned out to be waaaaay longer than I ever thought it would and I don't even have pictures!  But, I warned you back when I began this blog that my rants might go on forever (probably because I don't like planning things, especially writing).

You should check out my title inspiration (and also this quote from the inspiration) and then watch this corresponding video.  Trust me on this, it will make your life better.