She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
Proverbs 31:27-28 (NIV)
I have joined Shelly
Miller’s Surrendering
to Sabbath Society. I thought I’d be the “special” one, the also-ran, the
one trying but not quite making it. God is bigger than that, and He wouldn’t
lead me into fellowship with a group of women just to make me feel badly about
myself. That’s not God, and if I weren’t committed to being transparent, I’d be
too ashamed to acknowledge my instant fear of inadequacy, and my anticipated “epic
fail.” God is bigger than that. (Side note-here is one thing I’ve learned about
God…He knows. Your capacity to be completely honest with Him is an opportunity to
grow in faith…He already knows what you’re hiding. Imagine the trust you would
establish by not needing to hide
anything...but I digress…)
 |
I bless God for this thoughtful approach
to Sabbath. It is an exercise in intentionality,
in discipline which will overtake my life, in time.
For now, in faith, I take my baby steps.
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Reading the experiences
of my fellow sojourners, which I encourage you to do (they’re at Shelly’s Redemptions
Beauty in the link above), encouraged me to be bold in my pursuit. To give
my today’s best, praying that in faith, tomorrow’s best will be better. My
first Sabbath prayer was for softness.
I asked God to fill my heart and my mouth with wise, kind words (Proverbs
31:26).
In seeking a next step, I
sought to serve as I imagine a good (Modern) Christian wife and mother ought. Sabbath
might evolve into something more traditional, but for us, as a start, it is my
opportunity to serve my family by preparing our home to be a restful
environment where our bodies and our minds might be renewed. I’m trying to get us to Romans 12:2 (KJV),
And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
How? By creating an oasis
of calm, soft, unhurried peace so that we might be able to experience the peace
of Sabbath, undeterred by the noise and the busyness that fill the rest of our
week.
How does one get to this
transformative oasis? It is an exercise for me in preparation and Grace. Despite the anticipation of a busy Sunday (church,
music lessons, tutoring, a meeting in the City, rehearsal, preparation for
Monday morning) I wanted to have everything covered in advance so there would
be ease for us all. When our schedules collide like this, my beloved offers to
order dinner. While I appreciate the gesture, I feel an obligation to be that
Proverbs 31 women to the best of my ability.
I am thankful to report
in my first effort at creating a transformative environment despite such a
packed schedule, that we were able to plan and execute dinner, ensure
scheduling and transportation for everyone to get where they needed, and we had
a particularly enjoyable and blessed evening meal. Despite the craziness, we
had time to sit together during and after dinner and enjoy family time. It
should not have been possible despite all the moving pieces, but THAT’S God. I
did more of what I committed to in my first Sabbath effort, surrendering to it
by eating the elephant one bite at a time. I surrendered by taking baby
steps.
Someone wiser and perhaps
more together than me might suggest that this is a model for the way I should
manage my entire life, and I would not disagree. However, I bless God for the
thoughtful approach I am taking to the Sabbath. It is an exercise in
intentional discipline I believe will overtake my entire life, in time.
For now, in faith, I take
my baby steps.
God can handle the
big. When you start out, it’s okay for your part to simply be the small.
