time to listen

A few posts back, I mentioned how our pastor is challenging us to observe sabbath.  He says, "pick a time, pick a place, and enter in."  Don't get all hung up on the details--does it have to be a whole day?  does it matter which day??  Sometimes we get caught up in the particulars and don't actually practice sabbath.

What is sabbath?  As I've learned from my pastor, it is stopping, resting, playing, listening.  Stopping...all the things that pull on you day in and out.  That could be working at the office, or cooking dinner or whatever.  Resting...slow down, take a nap, whatever is restful to you.  Playing...that means different things to different people.  It could mean taking a walk, playing monopoly with your kids, or dancing around your living room.   Listening...this might be the most important.  We need to slow down, change our regular mode, do something different than normal in order to have the space to listen.  We need to listen to God.  What is He saying to us?

Well, I've been doing a bunch of reflecting on sabbath lately and not a lot of practicing it.  VBX next week.  Hubby's back pain affecting life.  blah, blah, blah.  Yes, it's busy and stressful right now, and time is short--but all the more reason for sabbath.

Today I grabbed an hour by myself.  Three hours would have been better.  A full day would have been lovely.  But rather than whine about how an hour was all I had, I stopped.  And entered in.  And listened.  And ate a cinnamon crunch bagel--mmmmmmm.

And God was there with me.  He spoke gentle words to my soul.  He helped me align my perspective to His as I journeyed into the day ahead.  It would have been a different day without that hour in His presence.

I am unwrapping the gift of my mini-sabbath today with Emily at chatting at the sky with the hopes of encouraging you to stop, rest, play and listen.  Pick a time, pick a place and enter in.