I don’t get sick often. And I don’t take a Sabbath often.
But here I am today, experiencing both. The sickness will come and go, the fever and achy body will recover. But what do I do with the fact that what lies before me is a forced Sabbath? What is Sabbath?
My shortcomings in the area of observing a sabbath are many. The idea of coming to a full stop before my God for an entire day seems nearly impossible. My mind doesn’t even come to a full stop while I am sleeping, or while I am doing my morning tryst time with God……how in the world do I stop for an entire day, without experiencing anxiety and misplaced guilt for “wasting a day”?
I haven’t been up to doing much today, though admittedly I did try to clean house. But, for the most part, the day was spent fighting a fever in bed. And thinking. Trying to harness my mind which was quite unwell and discouraged when I woke up halfway through this morning. Trying to preach to myself as I lay here in the bed under several blankets.
We are told in scripture to “Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy”, but what does that look like? Where is the instruction manual, the list of legalistic pharasaic “Things to do to keep the Sabbath Day Holy”?? Now that I could do! I could follow a checklist and successfully complete a ritualistic Sabbath Day. But would it be Holy? Would God be pleased?
Maybe keeping the Sabbath does consist of stopping for a period of time, with assurance that to do so, is ok. That this is how God has designed the use of our time (which really belongs to Him)–six days of work, one day of resting from work. And having the faith that God knows and sees and that all time belongs to Him. As for keeping it Holy, maybe I must discipline my soul and my mind to be aware of my God and my Jesus. Practice the Presence of God.
One shouldn’t have to get sick, in order to stop and contemplate these things. But as my 11 year old daughter described me on her blog, I am one stubborn person. I am trying to be grateful for this time of sickness, though I experience much guilt in just lying here when there is much to do. Sabbath’s are hard things to observe, but that’s not the way it’s meant to be. Instead, they should be eagerly awaited respites that God provides for the peace of our soul. May God teach us what it is like, to observe Sabbath with Him.