Bloom where you’re planted.
It’s something I’ve always said, but it’s definitely easier said than done.
What I want is to be able to experience joy no matter what I’m doing or where I am. I want to experience contentment no matter what. I want to experience Sabbath no matter what my walk of life is on Sabbath. I want to find peace and rest even when times make it seem completely impossible.
You know the times I’m talking about.
Could you experience Sabbath peace if you were homeless? If you were recently evicted or rushed from a dangerous situation to a shelter? If you just watched your house burn to the ground and you’re living in your parents’ garage? If you experienced a terrible divorce and had to move? If you experienced a terrible loss and you’re alone?
What if you’re sick and in the hospital or isolated from your loved ones? What if you’re snowed in and your power is out and you have no heat?
How do you celebrate Sabbath in these circumstance? Can you celebrate Sabbath in any circumstance?
One of my favorite quotes about Sabbath comes from Abraham Joshua Heschel:
There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern. (The Sabbath).
This quote reminds me of something important. Sabbath is not something me make ourselves. It is literally a place in time that we go.
Whether you’re having an amazing time or not, Sabbath is a place you’re going this week.
You’re walking through Sabbath even when life is difficult. It’s not a place you have to go. It’s not time you have to allot. When you practice Sabbath, it just is. You walk through it once a week no matter what.
The Sabbath will exist whether or not you have a personal disaster and the promise of the Sabbath will exist whether or not life as we know it is is turned upside down.
When there are world wars and natural disasters, personal crises and pandemics, the Sabbath will still exist.
For the Israelites in captivity for hundreds of years, Sabbath remained.
For the Israelites in the wilderness for a generation, Sabbath remained.
We can celebrate it by embracing it.
- Embrace the rest of the Sabbath by ceasing your work. Don’t hunt or gather. Prepare ahead of time so you can rest.
- Embrace the peace of the Sabbath by shutting off your distractions. Don’t mindlessly scroll or binge-watch. Just experience peace.
- Embrace the joy and creativity of the Sabbath by doing something you enjoy.
- Embrace the relationship of the Sabbath by spending time with your friends and family.
- Embrace the God of the Sabbath by spending time in His creation, worshipping, studying the Bible, and spending time alone.
Yes, even when you walk through a tough time, embrace the Sabbath, because no matter where you live, the Sabbath remains.
You can find more “Get Started Tips” in my podcast episode this week called “The UnPeaceful Sabbath”.
