The Return of the Sabbath!

The last few months have been hard for us.  Maxwell and Dexter have both been sick and this kicked off the start of at least of month of sleepless nights for me.  One of the kids has been awake every 1-2 hours for at least the past 4 weeks.  Oh sleeplessness...a form of torture. : )  We are adjusting to Sander's new job and the changes that brings.  I am trying to grow and upkeep my Noonday Collection business.  We've been updating the downstairs bathroom.  We are researching and visiting new Montessori schools for Dexter. And we are learning more and more about the poor and the oppressed and want to begin to make some major changes in our lifestyle.

All of this is mixed in with daily life and our previous commitments.  Sheesh. 

Last night Sander and I looked at each other and said, "we really need a regular date night."  It is easy to get lost in the emails and left-over to-do list at the end of the day and feel further from your spouse bit by bit.

But then I realized something today.  We don't need a date night, we need a sabbath!

This was all kicked off by an email that Jessica, the founder of Noonday Collection, sent all the ambassadors yesterday.  She was laying out the plan for 2012, but began it all by encouraging us to remember to:  “Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10 ESV)

What a timely reminder!  At times it can be overwhelming to see the hardship around the world and want to do any and everything to "fix it".  It can be hard to look around my house and want to do anything and everything to provide the best environment and instruction for my children.  It can be hard to hear each email *ding* on my phone and not immediately stop everything because you might be needed by another.

So, what is Sabbath?  Well, that could be a whole other blog post and there are many opinions on this issue.  The short answer that I think is indicated in Scripture describes the Sabbath as a time of working 6 days and resting the 7th.  When God gave his plan to Israel for how He thought life would operate best, He set up a Sabbath every 7 days for the people, He set up a Sabbath every 7 years for the land, and He set up a release from all debts and binding contracts every 50 years.  It seems as though He had an idea that people and the earth can't be pushed to the limit.  I really agree.  I can power through and produce some great short term results if I work in my own effort, but long term I burn out and loose focus.

Lots of things will be changing for us February 1, and number one on the list is to start recognizing a Sabbath again in our house.  I am toying with the idea of no email or cell phone...thoughts?

And looking back at Isaiah 58, the chapter that I can't avoid, Sabbath is straight up mentioned.  Right after telling the people about all the oppression going on and God's heart to alleviate it, Isaiah leaves them with the reminder that it isn't all about work: 

“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
  from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
 and call the Sabbath a delight
  and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
 if you honor it, not going your own ways,
  or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
 then you shall take delight in the LORD,
  and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
 I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
  for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
(Isaiah 58:13-14 ESV)

And can I just say that I love working for a company that the first reminder and encouragement by the founder is to not push ourselves to the limit, but to take time to stop, rest, and seek the Lord!  (Seriously guys, if you are at all interested in learning more about becoming an ambassador, let me know.  I love my job more every month and am so excited about learning more through our trainings and book club coming up.  I've got a blog coming soon all about this!)