Tuesday of this week I read a chapter in a book that touched a chord in me and it resonated…loudly. Like a bell going off in my head.

Does that mean I’m a ding-a-ling?

Just asking.

I’ve been pondering the chapter most of the week. It was on taking a Sabbath. Not necessarily Saturday (which was (and is) THE Sabbath to the Jews), but just a day of rest.  My life it seems has gotten exponentially busier in the past few months.  I just used dictionary.com to be sure I was using exponentially correctly. As it turns out, I’m not. But I’m keeping it there. But you should know I mean it’s gotten a LOT busier, a Lot, a Lot, a LOT.  Most weeks it’s seems we have something we *have* to do every day. Some days, as Tuesday and Wednesday of this week proved, we’re busy and gone all day.

I sat there reading the chapter and wondering what it would be like to take a Sabbath. Take a whole day off, to do no work, not rushing here and there.  At first I scoffed that it wasn’t humanly possible. Not happening. No way. No how. I just couldn’t see a way to make  it happen. The thought though would not leave me. I decided to set aside Wednesday from sun-down to Thursday at sun-down as my Sabbath.

I immediately started little sentence prayers, “How should I spend my Sabbath?” “What would glorify You?”, and “What do You want me to do on my Sabbath?”  For the next 48 hours every time I thought about this, I shot one of those prayer heaven-ward. And waited. I waited for an answer. The answer I was sure was to come.

The answer did come but not on my time schedule. I wanted to know the answer before Thursday morning.  But that is when the answer came.

I should have been smarter than I am and prepared on Wednesday for my Sabbath. I should have spent the day cleaning, cooking and just preparing everything in my life, heart and home for the next 24 hours of being essentially “off the grid”. But I didn’t. I could say it’s because I left the house at 8:30 Wednesday morning and did not return home until 5:30 that afternoon. I could. And apparently I just did. But I could have somehow squeezed in the preparation. But the things of life crowded out my ability to realize a Sabbath would take some preparation.

And isn’t a Sabbath really a time to not focus on things that need done?

I did make my supper Wednesday before sundown, and I dined in style. Sitting in the living room recliner eating will watching the final two episodes of Season 4 of Downton Abbey. Still pondering Sabbath and praying how I was to spend it.

Thursday morning I was completing my daily Bible reading (using YouVersion’s Bible in 90 Days plan), then I checked my email, turned on my computer and read a bit on facebook. In the book I had been reading the author said he put away all electronics, no computer, no phone, no watch, no nothing. I reasoned  that just because he did it didn’t mean I had to do it the same way.

Then I watched a video someone posted. And God hit me. Smacked me between the eyes with a near fatal blow. At the conclusion of the video, I shared it then I turn off everything. My phone went off. My laptop went off.

I obeyed. God had been giving me a word for my day. It made no sense to me at all. I still wonder why I had that word. But the girls and I spent a lovely time at a local coffee shop. I know I know. You’re thinking I’m confusing the voice of God with my own desires. I can assure you I’m not.  This is not a coffee shop I go to regularly. I have coffee at home. And a boastful and proud as it will sound, I’m more enamored with my own ability to make a killer cup of java than any coffee shop in town.

The girls wanted to walk across to a craft store next. We wandered aimlessly…oh wait. They wandered as those on a mission, I wandered aimlessly, praying, “Now what? Now how do I glorify You on my Sabbath?”

It wasn’t until we were walking home that the next word came to me.

Create.

Create? Yeah right! I am not Elohim. I am not a Creator. I’m not even entirely sure I’m all that creative. (Which now that I voice that out-loud, I realize what a smack in God’s face that statement is. We were created in His image. He is The Creative Creator. To say one is not creative is both ludicrous and stupid.)

At home I “created” another cup of coffee. I “created” order out of the chaos that was known as my kitchen. Praying still, “create what?”

I spent some time at my dining room table creating gratitude markers. Things that would hopefully bless a few hearts.

I created time with my oldest child. We giggled our way through Brewster’s Millions, sat in awe of God through Propaganda videos on youtube.

I find myself in awe of the day I had. I do not personally believe a Sabbath is a day to indulge ourselves. We’re already too self-indulgent. The Sabbath is not a day to do whatever makes us happy.  I find myself, instead of feeling the urgency to now accomplish everything I didn’t do yesterday. I don’t find myself feeling I am farther behind. I find I’m feeling more content. More peace. More joy. More productive. More.

I’m feeling more.

I’m looking forward with anticipation to next Wednesday at sundown. I’m longing for another Thursday Sabbath.