Sabbath "doing"

Yesterday--after an intense week of long hours at Georgetown, planning the New student retreat--and then going on the retreat, returning home to a house meeting until 11pm Sunday evening......I needed some time "off."

I'd decided to take Monday as a sabbath day for awhile. I'd also decided to take the day to go bike to Mount Vernon--a trail about 20 miles south of the city.

But all of this left me struck with how often we have the desire to accomplish something. Even on my day off.....I needed to accomplish, 40 miles of biking or so. Still, there was the sense that at least I wasn't working on emails (the biggest part of a sabbath within this job), Bible study prep or fundraising.

But still I wonder, what good would a whole day of "nothing"--praying, restoring, being, have felt good to me? What about in the eyes of God--he gives his grace freely--and I sometimes think a sabbath where nothign formal is accomplished can help remind us that the Lord loves uis regardless of whether we are working 1 or 15 hours in a day, he chooses us not because of what we can do.

I still did get some good time away from email and some time to sit and think a bit, be humbled and in awe of creation and even the life I'm living here.