How to Take a Break from Managing the Universe

A few years ago Tom and I decided to make Fridays our Sabbath—a day to avoid producing, working, or in any way worrying about life. We knew we needed a weekly day of rest from our management of the universe.I’m still living this decision, though sometimes I forget and my Friday becomes a work or worry day. Therefore, the third commitment on my New Year’s resolution list states, “Take a day once a week to avoid responsibilities by placing those ever present obligations in the hands of the Lord. It’s called a Sabbath day.”In her book Sabbath Presence, Kathleen Casey comments on the journey the Israelites made for 40 years in the wilderness. “All their possessions had to be carried; those who could carry more possessed more. Carrying equaled ownership and security. On the Sabbath the people could not carry anything. They had to lay down the symbols of ownership and security. . . With that one restriction, God ensured that on the Sabbath the people would recognize that their possessions, security, and achievement were dependent on God.”So, once a week I place my “stuff” in God’s hands and focus on rest, trust, and play. My commitment to God’s rest and my dependence on his wisdom is more important than my opinion of how to spend my time. For more about the Sabbath journey that Tom and I have been on, please visit our blog Sabbath and Sabbaticals. Although we don’t post there often anymore, our journey still continues.In what realistic way do you practice laying down the symbols of your ownership and security? How do you rest from responsibilities and obligations on a regular basis?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis