Since we're on the subject --Sabbath

This is what I woke up to Monday morning.

And it wasn't just the kitchen. It was all over the house.

Mess.

And the amazing thing about it is that the house was relatively clean on Saturday.

Seems God has gently been bringing up an issue in my heart. That's right, the Sabbath.

• I stumble across the article I posted a few days ago about the Sabbath.
• I called my sister Friday and she mentioned that she and her husband were "Sabbathing" (apparently it's a verb too).
• A sermon on "The seventh day He rested" --I heard two years ago, keeps coming back into my mind. Who remembers sermons from two years ago???

So here we are, I can't get it out of my head. Sabbath means rest. Keeping the Sabbath holy is one of the ten commandments. I am probably the world's most disobediant person on this one.

It's an issue (yes, now it's become an issue) that has been a struggle for me for a long time.

Mostly because I don't know what to do with it. I don't have any clue as to how I can take a Sabbath and people won't die.

Deployments?

More specifically deployments with babies.

How can I:

"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 manservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 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." -Ex.20:8-11

I decided that Sunday I would take the day off. I did as little as was possible. Quickly made breakfast for the kids, made coffee, picked out the kids clothes. We ate out for lunch, came home and napped. Woke from our naps, went to night church. Ate out again.

Bed time.

Then Monday morning came. It would be a day of recovering the house and doing laundry.

And it was.

I started the first load of clothes and ran the dishwasher at 0630. I had most of the work done by 1600.

By Monday night, I was beat. Tuesday morning, still beat. Tuesday night: ...beat.

I'm wondering if it is worth it. One day of rest = two exhausting days.

But I think, it doesn't matter if it's worth it. I think I need to do it because God says do it. I need to trust that God will either provide me with more energy or will teach me something through my exhaustion.

Through my own personal experience I know that:

• God's laws are good and are for my good. This one should not be an exception.
• When I follow God's laws, I receive blessing.
• When I disobey, I (or someone around me) experiences pain.

I just don't know how to practically live this one out.

Does this mean I prepare Sunday's meals on Saturday --because we can't keep up this eating out?

Do we need to go to bed with a spotless house on Saturday night?

Should there be special Sunday afternoon activities for the children that will keep the house from getting messy?

I don't know.

Here are some things I've observed about the Sabbath --in case anyone else out there is wondering how they can make it happen.

The Sabbath was observed starting at sun down on one day to sun down the next day. Which means, you can do work the first day (before sundown) and the second day (after sundown). It is a 24 hour period.

I don't think there is any problem with picking any day of the week to Sabbath. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work." Doesn't say which day.

God says the Sabbath is a "sign between me and you...". This makes me think that with our rest, we should spend time thinking about God, worshiping God, remembering God. Putting aside our worldly drive. House cleaning? A worldly drive when my goal is a clean house as opposed to an opportunity to serve God. And honestly, my goal is, almost always: a clean house.

We are to celebrate the Sabbath. I need to look at is as a gift and not as more hassle.

We are to remember, by observing the Sabbath, that God sanctifies us (makes us holy). By

keeping the day holy we are to be reminded that God makes us holy.

And lastly, is not a recommendation God makes. It's not a suggestion on "How to get more out of your week." No, it's a command. In fact, under Old Testament Law (before Jesus was born) people who failed to observe the Sabbath were put to death. -Ex.31:14

Serious.

He must be serious.

This wasn't the priests coming up with legalistic rules for the Israelites to follow. This was straight from the mouth of God.

With Jesus came freedom from the penalty of the law. Jesus came he was often accused of working on the Sabbath. His reply was that He was the Lord of the Sabbath.

The following weeks will be experiments on how I be obedient to this command.

If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!