Sabbath Struggles

Dawn - Lake Lure, North Carolina

Lake Lure, North Carolina, has special meaning for our family. It is the place where four generations gather for a week of summer Sabbath to reconnect, to be renewed, and to be present to God in creation. It is a healing practice begun the summer after my daughter Tara’s death, when we became painfully aware of the finite opportunities for families to be together.

Even as I cherish this Sabbath time, I resist, tortured by the demon of busy-ness.  Mail and newspapers must be stopped, animals must be cared for, bags packed, the house cleaned, bills paid, calendars checked to be sure no item on the “to-do” is left neglected, even if only for a few days.  I am often exhausted from preparation before I leave home. I sometimes ask myself, “Is it worth the effort?”

But when I watch the sun rise above the still water, the morning mist still nestled upon mountain, I know the answer.

Why is it so difficult to step off life’s treadmill?

Is it because we are on a busy track with people moving faster, and faster, always in a hurry? Voices speak louder and louder. Televisions blare from early morning until late at night, sometimes only in the background with no one listening. Telephones constantly ring; telephones with multiple lines and call waiting so we can talk with more than one person at a time. Fax machines, e-mail, hundreds of channels on television, Facebook, texts and twitter all compete for our attention.  We’re assaulted by billboards, magazines, newspapers, radio, all crying at the same time, “Buy me. Do me. Watch me. Wear me.”

No wonder it is sometimes difficult to hear God’s gentle whisper. 

There is a story about a man who came to a hermit for spiritual direction. The man’s life was full of stress and turmoil, and he claimed he could no longer find God.  The hermit took him down to the river where he silently dipped a bowl into the river, filled it with water, and quietly led him back to his hut.  They sat for a very long time until the sand, silt, and mud had gone from churned up--to cloudy--to clear.  The point was made. 

We, like the man in the story, need to learn how to sit patiently and wait quietly for our bodies and minds to settle so we can be present to God. 

Reflections:

Be still, and know that I am God.~Psalm 46:10

. . .And after the fire came a gentle whisper.~1 King 19:12  

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath’." ~Mark 2:27 (New Living Translation)

“Effort comes more naturally to most of us than non-effort. We can do almost anything in material space: fill it, change it, paint it, cover it, reinforce it, tear it down. But put us in front of an hour of uncharted, unprogrammed time, and we go catatonic or go spastic. Creative non-doing, genuine Sabbath time, is the greatest challenge of all.  But it too is part of the body language of faith.”—Thomas Ryan

--Does busy-ness and stress affect my presence for God? If so, how?

--Do I  regularly take time to be still? To be quiet?

--Is making "genuine Sabbath time" a challenge for me? Why? Why not?

--Am I comfortable with "creative non-doing?" Why? Why not?

--Do I create time to enjoy children, spouse or friends? When do I set aside time to play?  How firm is that commitment?

Practice:

*Find a place to be outside.  Let the beauty of creation renew your spirit. 

*Prepare a special "Sabbath meal," alone or with friends or family.  Shop for the ingredients, choosing those that bring you the most pleasure.  This food is not so much for survival as for sheer, savory delight.  Put on some music. Turn off the phone.  Take as much time as you like to feel, taste, smell each ingredient, every spice, bread, and vegetable.  Decorate the table with flowers, colorful placemats, and candles.  Say a prayer.  Give thanks, remembering all the people who grew, harvested, packed, shipped, and sold them for you.  Give thanks for the bounty of the earth.  Enjoy.