A Mom’s Guide to Sabbath Rest

For a short while, a very short while, I believed that Sabbath Keeping was about family bonding.
During this season, I set into motion all these plans for delightful family crafts, games and activities.
I soon discovered that my kids had a name for our family bonding. F.F.F.
Forced Family Fun
As it turns out, Forced Family Fun is not fun for anyone, especially me, who usually came away disappointed by the profound lack of precious family moments it ever created.
I praise the Lord for families who can successfully pull off planned family bonding time. It just never worked well for us. We did successfully do it from time to time, but more often than not, with our crew of crazy kids, someone was always in melt-down mode. We learned to go with the flow, enjoying what did work for our family . . . bonding with one kiddo at a time, or sometimes in clusters of 2 or 3.
So, enter . . .

Brenda’s Guide to Sanity
Find a body – any BODY warm enough and safe enough to keep your kids from “broken bones, blood, fire and flood” and then run.
RUN! Far away if necessary.
Sometimes I just hid in a bedroom or on the front porch, but I often slipped out of the house to a “quieter” corner somewhere close to home . . . the library, Dairy Queen (we live in the country!), a park, or a friend’s back porch.
Once there, I reminded myself to breathe.
One hour. Two. Every so often, three.
It was a weekly gift, a treasure beyond compare.

HOW?
If you have a willing spouse, tag team! That’s what Tim and I did.
If you have amiable neighbor or grandparent – ask!
If you have a friend with small children, swap “kid care” every other week for each other.
Hands down, this weekly (or bi-monthly) getaway was my sanity.
I knew I had two hours of calm and quiet coming my way every Sunday. For 120 minutes, I did not have to poke, prod or produce anything for anyone. I was off the hook, free – momentarily – of all responsibility.
It was a life-saver.
It made all the difference in the world when the demands of my kids far outweighed what I had to give them each week.
Firemen tell us, “Stop, drop and roll.”
God says, “Stop. Drop. Receive. I will refill. Recharge. Replenish.”

Question is, “Will you let Him?”

 

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6 thoughts on “A Mom’s Guide to Sabbath Rest”

    • Katie!

      How are you?
      I am so glad that this was one of those “right time … right place” emails.
      Our Lord so graciously meets us where we are at.
      Get that block of time on the calendar! Make it a regular date. It’s strategic and life-giving when little one keep us running round the clock!
      God bless and keep you. His face shines upon you!

      Love, Brenda!

      Reply
  1. Oh how I wish I had had that when my kids were small. A break from the harrowing journey of children. I sought it from my husband. Big mistake. No human can give you what only God supplies. A break from people. A break with God. Quiet. Peace. Glory.

    Reply
    • Betty – Powerful testimony.
      There is no shame to take a break FROM people, big or small, so we can take a break WITH Jesus.
      I love it.
      Jesus pulled away from the crowds and his closest friends again and again.
      No matter if we have children or not, no matter there ages … may we slip away!
      Sending my love, Brenda

      Reply

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