I finally felt a twinge of fall in the air in South Texas last weekend. Cooler temps. Rain in the forecast. The day was made for nesting. At home, that is. No appointments. No demands. Just pure nesting. Such a day demanded pulling out the smelly pumpkin candles and dragging out the festive fall decorations. Nesting wasn't complete without making two pans of yummy pumpkin bread. I love those kind of days...where you have nothing really scheduled and can allow the day to fritter away.
The art of doing nothing is quite an art. If perfectly honest, many of us have a hard time taking time to do what we enjoy. Reading a book. Lounging at home. Taking a nap. Calling an old friend. Baking cookies. Snuggling with your pooch or kitty. Playing games with your family. We simply have a hard time chilling. Years ago, Tim Hansel wrote a book called "What I Relax I Feel Guilty." It seems that many of us might live by that title.
In recent years, I've begun to understand the importance of stopping and embracing the gift of rest and relaxation. Even God thought rest was a good idea! In the bible, He declared the seventh day of the week a day of rest. Just think..."The first thing the Bible ever declared holy was not an object or a place, but a "time," a twenty-four-hour period called Sabbath. "(Lance Witt, Replenish)
Most of us work hard during the week. WE must learn that it's good to take a "time out" and rest, enjoying the good gifts that God has given us. Richard Swenson said it best "We must have some room to breathe. WE need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are starved to death by velocity. No one has the time to listen, let alone love...is God now pro-exhaustion? Doesn't he lead people beside the still waters anymore?" It would seem to me that God tries to lead us beside the still waters, but we don't always want to go. We feel like we need to be doing something productive. Why do we throw such guilt upon ourselves?
Peter Scazzero in his book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, has a great template for practicing the Sabbath: 1. "Stop. Put productivity on hold for twenty-four hours. 2. Rest. For some of us the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap. 3. Delight. Isaiah 58 talks about enjoying and delighting in Sabbath. Sabbath is a day to enjoy what God created. 4. Contemplate. Take time to "be" with God."
I have a feeling that we would be far better in our jobs if we took the Sabbath seriously and enjoyed a well deserved break. Give yourself permission. God wants to give you the rest that no one else will!
Nancy Abbott serves as the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
