This past Sunday almost felt like a Sunday from days long past. The snow began early, piled up rather quickly, and gently shut us inside our homes for the day. Time genuinely slows down when there is literally nowhere to go, no “to-do” list pending and no chores to accomplish.
We live in a time and a place where everything is lightning speed. Our phones and headpieces keep us constantly plugged in. Our connectedness has made the world much smaller, which can have its both pros and cons. We are multi-tasking at all times, eating a breakfast sandwich on the run while watching some live war footage happening on the other side of the world. Oftentimes nearly choking on our food because in all of our multitasking, chewing our food is the last on the list of importance.
My dad tells me about a time when everything used to shut down on Sunday. The stores on “Main Street” were closed and all of the owners, patrons, and their families attended an early morning church service or mass. The remainder of Sunday was spent with family, resting, reflecting, prayerful and preparing for a brand-new week ahead. The schedule was tossed out the window for the entire day if it was seasonably nice out. The only work done that day was having a father and son baseball catch right before dinner.
This past Sunday, while almost everything was shut down, it reminded me that we have a weapon in our arsenal that we barely use. I’m guilty of this first and foremost. It’s the mighty weapon of rest. The weapon of taking a day off from everything and living one day a week that pierces through our busy schedules. Giving a whole day towards letting our minds and bodies slow down and heal. To break up our busy schedules and replace so much responsibility with simple rest. Not having to wait until we are sick and run down to give our busy lives a break.
Rest is certainly a Biblical principle as well. I personally believe that God knows best and even the boundaries He established for humans are ultimately for our benefit. He knows that we each need a break. The Sabbath day and its instruction was for humans to basically do nothing for one day a week. With the intent being to come back rested and ready to go the following day and upcoming week. Again, a principle I’m still working at following myself. But this past Sunday full of snow and shutdowns, reminded me of how mighty the weapon of rest really is. Rest is not counterproductive, it’s ultimately ultra productive.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
(Abraham Lincoln)
