Practice Sabbath Rest

My husband and I are too busy.

Perhaps you are too.

I find it interesting that in our hyper-connected, fast-paced, life-on-a-screen society, several of our grown children have delved into the study of practicing sabbath rest. They are working to develop practices that draw them closer to God and closer to their families. They honor God in their weekly church commitments but are exploring ways to incorporate sabbath rest.

One is delving into water-coloring as personal worship. Another picked up the guitar again. One family celebrates together by eating homemade pancakes each Saturday morning, complete with berries and fresh whipped cream.

Their expressions of “sabbath-ing” cast a wider net than what I was taught in a liturgical church as a child. They also schedule times to turn off their phones.

“Impossible!”

There was absolutely no way that Kevin and I could turn off our phones and not be fully connected at all times to our jobs and to our responsibilities.

That was my initial response to sabbath rest.

So, what does it mean for us to Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy?

I had no answers.

Knowing the brevity of wildflowers, Kevin and I cleared a morning to hike the 5.7 mile, out-and-back, Butcher Jones Trail near the shore of Saguaro Lake. The popular hike climaxed with a view of Four Peaks in the distance with the lake bordered by cacti at Burro Cove.

The view is breath-taking. Maybe the more accurate term is breath-giving.

I documented sixteen different wildflowers and flowering bushes, including owl’s clover, lupine, blue dicks, stork’s bill filaree, chicory, and the funny-looking chia plant.

As we drove home along Highway 87 near Bush Highway, we saw the hills covered in poppies. We debated about two seconds before pulling over to walk among the ephemeral flowers.

Sitting and bending low to their fragile beauty, I realized this is our practice of sabbath rest. It’s imperfect. We don’t do it enough. But for brief respites, we set aside our cares. Our responsibilities. (We are often off-grid, so our phones don’t work! Double win!)

We spend time together and in God’s creation.

And we remember.