I threw myself down on the couch exhausted again. How do the weekends always fly by filled with scheduled events and house work? It feels like I blink and suddenly it’s Sunday night and I’m dreading another busy week. I was in a vicious cycle as a working mom with no breaks and no end in sight. It began to feel completely overwhelming! Then I stumbled upon a social media post from Annie F. Downs. It was a photo of her backpack and work computer closed up in her guest bedroom. She announced that Saturdays are her Sabbath and she literally locks away her work computer behind a door to keep herself from even thinking about it. While I’m not the kind of person who feels drawn to office work on the weekends, I do feel that I can’t get away from my housework. So I decided right then and there that I needed a SABBATH! A Sabbath is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as, "A day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jewish people from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday."

The Bible describes it as this, "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 male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 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

The way I interpret "taking a Sabbath" is having an intentional day of rest and time connecting with Jesus.  I've followed Jesus since I was a kid, but I've never taken a Sabbath. A day of rest? Who has time for that? I've got to hustle and keep up. But you know what all that hustle did to me? It turned me into an exhausted, anxious person. So I decided it was time for a change.  Saturday would be my day. (As a pastor's wife, Sundays can be our busiest day of the week!) My only rules for myself were:

1. No Housework
2. Reduced Phone Time
3. Intentional Time With Jesus

Here is how taking a Sabbath each weekend for the last month changed my life and it will change yours too:

1. You will feel more present in each moment.

If you have a busy mind like I do, it can be hard to turn off the schedules and to- do lists. Knowing there was always more to get done prevented me from truly enjoying a fun moment. Now on Saturdays, I can fully be present to laugh and do lots of fun things with my family and get out of my head. Taking a Sabbath is teaching me to savor special moments especially when I’ve waited for them all week.  

2. You will find lower weekend stress levels.

The laundry still needs to be done and the meal prepping is always waiting, but on Saturdays when I see that stuff I say, “Not today” and move on! It feels good to build boundaries with life’s responsibilities. God never intended for us to work 7 days a week. We are designed for rest. That is why He modeled a day of rest for us when he made the earth. Carving out a day for rest, connection, and fun pushes the stress out and reminds you the work will still be there tomorrow.  

3. You will enter your work week recharged.

What really fills your cup up? If you are like me, you don’t even know anymore. Taking a Sabbath has been letting me experiment and find out. Savoring moments and finding rest allows me to start the new week in a better place then I left the last one. Taking a Sabbath is not just find rest for your body it’s also find rest for your mind, emotions, and soul as well. It's a time to process with God all that has happened that week. The thing I am struggling with or do not understand I can take to God. Intentional time with God is what helps my soul and my mind feel more at peace at I start a new week.  

**Disclaimer** I am not perfect at this! Not every Sabbath Saturday is filled with picnics, naps, and journaling for Jesus. I wish it was, but real life doesn’t work that way. Being a mom means my time with Jesus looks more like praying throughout my day and trying to read a quick devotional during nap time. Intentional time with Jesus does not have to look a certain way, it is simply growing in your relationship with Him and being sure to reconnect if it’s been a crazy week.  

So what would your Sabbath look like? Comment with what 3 things would truly allow your soul to rest and I challenge you to try them one day this week!