The Soul-Rest Found in Delight {Thoughts on the Sabbath}

There are many aspects of social media that I enjoy.

When I first started blogging three years ago, I loved the challenge of crafting each post and meeting my own weekly writing goals.

When I first joined Facebook, I loved reconnecting with friends from the small town I grew up in.

More recently, I signed up for Twitter. (And I’m still figuring that one out.)

All these technological mediums have brought real joy into my life as I have connected with some truly wonderful people. At the same time, I have also noticed how the minutes spent online can become hours. As a result, I have sometimes wished for a rustic cabin in the mountains, just so my family and I could “get away” from all the electronic gadgets and gizmos for a weekend.

So I started trying something new. New for me, anyway.

I’ve been going “unplugged” on the weekends.

I haven’t followed this pattern perfectly. And I’m okay with that too. I have merely attempted a new balance. And I’m liking it.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day on my couch reading a book. From the couch, I could hear the sounds of a table saw coming from the garage. Outside, I could hear the kids shouting, “Ready or not, here I come!”

Each member of my family was enjoying the Sabbath, doing what delights them most. Through this delight, a genuine soul-rest has been found. And it didn’t even require a cabin or a trip to the mountains.  🙂

I haven’t always been so diligent about keeping the “Sabbath.” The word itself sounds strange and archaic. Yet, despite its unfamiliarity in our day-to-day vernacular, it’s as relevant today as it was when Moses first wrote about it.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy . . .
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth
. . . but He rested on the seventh day.”
~ Exodus 20:8,11a

I’m reading a book right now titled Sabbath by Dan Allender, and in it, the author suggests that God rested, not because He was tired and achy and worn out, but because He wanted to sit back and delight in His creation. The correlation between delight and rest is something I never thought about in quite that way before. It’s something to ponder.

So on this Monday morning, as I get back into the swing of weekday things, I am thankful.

I am thankful for . . .

144. cool mornings
145. warm quilts
146. hot tea

147. good books
148. challenging conversations
149. new attempts

150. the hum of my husband’s workshop
151. the sound of children playing
152. quiet afternoons

Do you have a Sabbath tradition?
Do you have any tips or advice for a Twitter newbie?

While reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, I started keeping a list of the things I am thankful for.

Linking with Multitudes on Mondays; Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood; Playdates at the Wellspring; On, In, and Around Mondays; Hear It On Sunday, Use It On Monday.