“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength’” (Isaiah 30:15a ESV).
Today is the end of my first “real” week back to work. The students returned to school on Thursday so it was a short week for them but I think the schedule makers knew what they were doing. I’m extra thankful today is Sabbath! Ryan’s alarm went off at 5:30 this morning by accident. Tuff started rustling in his crate so I knew it was pointless to try to stay in bed any longer. I love Sabbath mornings for many reasons. On normal work days, I hate the feeling of being rushed, which is why I get up early so I can make sure to do everything before leaving and without running around like a chicken with my head cut off. When I took Tuff outside this morning, I could stand and listen to the birds chirping. They had already been awake long before me practicing their serenades for the day. I saw our neighbor’s lights were on the same as other days and wondered if they get up early too on the weekend.
Back inside Tuff and I curled up on the couch with our fuzzy blankets, one for him and one for me because neither of us are good at sharing! On normal days, I don’t get to sit much with him but today is different and he happily fell back asleep nestled beside me. Lately I’ve felt that I push him away too much. Because my poison ivy is still healing on my knees and torso, I can’t cuddle him as I used to. So at least today he can curl up right next to me and I’m not planning on moving for a long time.
I’m grateful for the couch I have to sit on, recline on. To sit back, relax and take in this beautiful Sabbath morning. I could pray as much as I want for as long as I want. I could read scripture uninterrupted. I could also write out devotionals, trying to remember what happened this week that could be a benefit or learning moment. I love the quietness and restfulness of Sabbath morning. Today I could sit in the stillness and remember that everything that seems so important during the week is not actually what should top my list. Unfortunately when school starts my morning devotional time suffers. I can hear other people saying I should get up earlier, and they might be right. I just can’t drag out of bed earlier than 5am. So especially as I try to renavigate my weekday morning routine, I appreciate Sabbath morning time with God even more. Thank you God for quiet moments like this, undisturbed by what would normally be happening on workdays. Thank you Lord that I woke up and didn’t miss the best part of this quiet day.