Then God blessed the seventh day and made it
holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that
he had done.
Genesis 2:3 (NIV)
At Shelly
Miller’s invitation (admittedly, I received it as a bit of a challenge), I
joined a community of women in the Surrendering to Sabbath Society. Initially, I
was clear this call was NOT for me.
I have friends who are orthodox, and so appreciate the rigor of observing
Sabbath. While I try to honor Sundays and keep them Holy, this was a far larger
commitment than I could reasonably make, and why on earth would I commit to
failure? Look deeper, something within me said. Take baby
steps…
I didn’t say no. I said
yes. Quietly. So, for the last three weeks, I’ve been getting my mind right in
stages. Change for me in this case another form of surrender, is a gradual process. The first
week I thought about what could be changed, and how. Mostly, I thought about
the woman of Proverbs 31:26. First, I prayed that all I did might be soft…
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law
of kindness. Proverbs 31:26
Without explaining why, I called my mother that first Sunday morning
and prayed with her, as we often do before departing for worship. We pray any time
we take a notion, but often, despite time zones and thousands of miles, we
manage to share early Sunday morning sunrises; meal planning; birds at the
window feeders; coffee or tea. We prayed for softness. Soft words, a soft
manner, the softness of Proverbs 25:15, married to forbearance, calmness of
spirit, soft speech. I will Surrender to
Sabbath by eating the elephant a bite at a time; taking baby steps. am
reminded how to eat the elephant. In taking this journey, in making this
commitment to long-term change, I am reminded of the wisdom of coach and mentor
Holley Gerth who, in the Do What You Can Plan, recommends that to be successful
in making changes, you take the really big things you want to do, and break
them down into the smallest component parts. She writes,
God can handle the big. When you start out, it’s okay for your
part to simply be the small.
I made a sacrificial offering to Surrendering to Sabbath;
I felt the blessing of greater peace and calm in my home than has been in some
time. It was a start. It was a tiny bite of the elephant. It was a baby step. I will get there, and God will be glorified in
the transformation He works through me. Slowly.
