“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
I missed church yesterday. I knew before I went to bed the night before that I probably wouldn’t make it to church in the morning. I guess you could say it was “pre-planned”.
No, fire and brimstone didn’t rain down upon my head but, the guilt crept in anyway. I have so much to be thankful for right now. I should be showing those thanks by going to worship Him, praising Him, for carrying me through one of the toughest storms I’ve ever weathered. The praise, the thanksgiving—all of it is in my heart. I think He knows that (hope?).
But I stayed home. I finished my homework and made a small dent in the laundry instead—secular concerns.
No, they’re not more important than Him. I hope He knows that, too. But I needed a break. Not from Jesus, not from God, or His grace, for nothing restores my soul like He does. I needed a break from simply having to be somewhere at a certain time. My get up and go, got up and went, as the saying goes. Life has been nonstop these days. It’s all good things: new job that I love; writing classes that are getting more and more interesting; getting back into a better blogging routine and seeing some uptick in subscribers, likes, and views; an old friend back in my life who is proving to be a rock, helping me to get back on my feet far quicker than I could ever do by myself…thanks be to God!
But I still missed church.
There’s still a part of me thinking I’m Supergirl. Instead, some better time management would solve most of my problems. I wouldn’t get overwhelmed as often. And my soul that is always thirsting for His word, would be quenched with those living waters each week. Also, remembering that He is a loving God. He rested on the 7th day. Sometimes the body, mind, and/or spirit is weary and needs that 7th day to rest, just as our Lord did. And that’s okay…as long as I don’t make it a habit.
I am reminded of Shel Silverstein’s most excellent children’s book, The Giving Tree. Like the old tree stump that is left at the end of the book, I’ve given all I have and there is nothing left to give. (That may be a paraphrase) Well, I’m not entirely at that point but, I am certainly familiar with that kind of burnout and, as I scratch and crawl my way back from total ruin, I am well aware that burnout could come back all too easily to bite me in the proverbial backside. Better time management, learning to pace myself, and remembering that He loves me even when I am weak, these are some of the many lessons He has taught me in this storm.
And I praise Him for it!
May God bless you & keep you!
Works Cited
Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper & Row, 1964.
The Herbal Hare Tomestead and Animal Sanctuary 
God created the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath. He gives us rest, however that interprets to our spirits.
Thank you!