Sabbath a Delight

Early this morning, when the pink light was streaming through my blinds, I heard a delighted shreak, "Is anyone in there? Cause Happy Sabbath!

My earliest bird was so excited - and so was I. What a happy way to be awakened on a lovely spring morning!

Are you delighting in the Sabbath? I've heard young people complain about the restraints of the Sabbath, and I've sought all my parenting life to encourage my children to delight in the presence of Jesus on the Sabbath, but there are times when I doubt my success when I try to redirect their energies to more God-centered Sabbath activities.

I realize I'm partly there when my kids respond to the request (tentatively) to sweep up the cantaloupe chunks from under their breakfast table, "Mo-om! It's Sabbath, and we don't have to work!" I usually respond that Jesus still doesn't want us to invite roaches and flies into our house, even on Sabbath, and they, of course, comply, but they have a point.

I find that one of the biggest reasons for school success is that just one day a week I am compelled to rest, to take a break, to allow my heart and mind to enter into a higher experience, one of deep communion and friendship with Jesus and my family and many friends. It recharges my batteries in a way that nothing else could, and, despite a life full of little boys (and their homework), supporting and loving far-away family, church responsibilities, cooking, cleaning, home finances, working on writing projects, maintaining a website... Despite all these things, I still manage to find time to study (a bit), to really understand and enjoy the things that I'm learning in nursing school and to make good grades. It is not possible to do all that I need to do in 7 days, but the Power that I immerse myself in every day, and especially on the Sabbath, makes it possible in 6. What an amazing God! What an amazing life He has given me to live!

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isa 58:13-14

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Location:Greenwell St,Pensacola,United States