My Sabbath Time-out

In a few hours the Sabbath will be here - a weekly celebration and rest that I could not do without.

I'm not Jewish, but I do keep the Sabbath from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. And by "keeping" I mean that it's a time set aside from my daily routine and worries, time for God, family, nature and friends.

I'm by no means a legalistic keeper of the Sabbath hours - I do not think resting in God involves strict adherence to man-made-up regulations. Nor do I count down the minutes and seconds to the start and end of the day to make sure it's EXACTLY sunset. :) Keeping the Sabbath means different things in different cultures and to different people, and I believe it's up to each individual to discover what it means to them.

For my family, we turn off the TV and radio so we will not be distracted or coerced by what they have to say. We do have our favourite CDs and a few videos that we'll watch - nature stuff, praise and worship music, videos of my parents in Australia etc, but the peace and quiet without these is often better. We try to get our shopping and cleaning out the way before the Sabbath so we can truly rest. We enjoy special goodies to eat, with enough time to prepare them - Sabbath is always dessert day!:) We spend Friday night together, talking and relaxing, and then indulge in candle-lit bubble baths as a special extra. Any issues, worries and busy-things of the week are put out of our minds, to be dealt with after Sabbath or left entirely in God's hands for Him to sort out while we rest.

Perhaps I'll spend part of the Sabbath at a local church, or reading my Bible or other books and articles that challenge or feed me spiritually. Perhaps my son and I will take the day out in nature - at the beach, nature reserve, up the mountain with the dogs or just outside in our garden. We might spend some of it with our family and friends, sharing a meal and a chat. An afternoon nap is a Sabbath luxury that usually can't be passed up, especially after a good lunch!:) Sometimes we're involved with the worship team in workshops or prayer and planning times. Perhaps we'll do a little baking together or draw or write, stretching our creative bits in time that's not available as we rush through the week. We might take a trip around the coast and find a place for a picnic.

And every week I come out of the Sabbath hours refreshed and revitalized, ready for the challenges of the new week. I'm looking forward to it already!

Shabbat Shalom!