Sabbath

Everyone (I think) has heard all about the sabbath... setting aside one day a week for rest.

And we've heard about the over legalization of it when Jesus was criticised for his disciples doing small tasks on that day...

It's why we have weekends (sort of... some time we might discuss Otto Von Bismarck). The idea is pretty simple... do your best, work hard, take a break.

Many of us are busy on Sundays (or whichever day you take a break) anyway. We don't always punch the time card, but we still fill the day with all sorts of chores. Stuff comes up:

Then he asked them, "If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?" Luke 14:5

Nothing wrong with that.

Over the last few years I have let my mind and heart wind up pretty tight. I won't recount the events here, but I will say that even when a day of rest rolled around each week my heart did not rest.

I'm resting now.

The other day someone asked what day it was. I didn't know. I had to look it up.

Whoo hoo!

I'm still getting used to it.

Consider what it is like when a pain ceases. When a thorn is pulled, when a headache fades, when the novacain numbers a throbbing tooth. The cessation of pain can be more than the pain simply stopping, there can be a sense of pleasure.

That is what this vacation is like. I have tried to fix what was broken in my life, worked hard, long on it, and forgot who I was. I did not enjoy my life, even when I thought I was enjoying it. I see now that even when I lifted my foot from the thorns, I did not pull them all out.

Bottom line... I feel like this month has been a sabbath for my life.

It feels like a blessing. It feels like I have been told to just sit on a rock for a while and simply rest. It feels like... it feels like something I've not known.

It feels wonderful.