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Sabbath Simplicity Life
by Keri Wyatt Kent
I’ve had a
busy day, I’ve got to start dinner in an
hour or so, but for now, I sit at the
computer to finish this newsletter. I’ve got
Michael Buble singing “Let it Snow” on the
CD player, and it is, indeed, snowing
outside my office window.
I don’t know about you,
but I find December wonderful, but challenging. I want
to slow down, enjoy the season and its true meaning. But
the normal busyness created by our daily obligations
(work, family, friends and just managing life) ramps up
a notch when you add baking, writing cards, shopping
(although greatly reduced this year), wrapping and
simply planning.
I want to live a
sanely-paced, God-focused life; a Sabbath Simplicity
life. It’s never easy, because our culture keeps
whispering in our ear (okay, sometimes shouting): “Hurry
up!” and the implication, stated or not, is that our
value lies in what we accomplish. Something in us wants
to protest, but we’re not sure we believe that we could
be valued for who we are, instead of for what we do.
This month, don’t let
holiday preparations consume you, robbing you of the joy
this season is alleged to represent. Take time to
connect with those people, to take some time to reflect,
to rest.
I believe the holiday
season should be a time of gratitude, hope and wonder.
Such things can not be experienced in a hurry.
We just returned from a
trip to California to visit family for Thanksgiving. One
of the things we were most thankful for was the weather
out in San Diego—clear, sunny, unseasonably warm. We
returned to find that winter had moved into Chicago,
coating the trees and ground with several inches of
snow.
While enjoying the
California sunshine was great—we went hiking, waded in
the Pacific, sat out by the pool—it’s good to be back to
what feels like a proper December.
In winter, the natural
world responds to the shorter, cooler days by resting.
Beneath the snow, soil and roots simply receive the slow
watering that this frozen layer provides. Animals burrow
into their nests, hiding and hibernating. The squirrels
who have been busy gathering seeds and food for weeks
are now tucked into big leafy nests in the willow tree
behind the house. While we cannot sleep the winter away,
we can learn from nature, and notice—there is a time for
work, and a time for rest.
Advent has begun. The
word itself means “coming”—we look forward to Jesus’
arrival. Yet for us, December is often a time of
“going”—we have too many places to go, hurrying and
scurrying to the point where we are simply tired. We’re
too exhausted to be grateful, too busy to wonder.
Our family lights
candles at Advent—one each Sunday. We work hard all
week—kids at school, Scot and I at our jobs and with all
the holiday preparations. But on Sunday, we slow down.
We worship at church, we gather at home. We enjoy a meal
together. We light a candle, reminding each other of the
promises the season represents. We get enough sleep, if
only that one night. That alone inspires gratitude.
Sabbath Simplicity
taking one day to rest—which means we spend the other
six fully engaged in the work we must do, the work we
can even enjoy. I find that when I rest on
Sunday—setting aside housework, keeping the computer
turned off, enjoying my family—I am ready to get things
done on Monday, and much more efficient.
Retailers often try to
boost holiday sales by telling us, “Don’t just buy
things for others, treat yourself as well. Buy something
for you, too.” Well, okay, but you still have to pay for
whatever you buy. When you treat yourself, you still get
the credit card bill in January.
Rather than just buying
something for yourself, why not simply receive the gift
that God offers this month? In the midst of the
busyness, stop. Sabbath. The word means “to
cease”—whether our work is done or not. Simply rest for
one day, enjoy God and all he’s already given
you—family, friends. Once a week, reconnect with the
true reason for the season.
Sabbath is not just a
good idea, it can improve your health. To learn more,
click here to read Keri’s “For Your Soul” column
from the Today’s children’s Ministry website. |
