Sabbath

Right now, there is a whirlwind of activity in our house as all five children begin the task of dressing for church.

With all five pressing for bathroom space, I can hear their voices growing shriller by the moment. I hold my breath and wonder, "Will this be a day when our tempers flair, when harsh words are exchanged and some of us are reduced to tears?"

It's odd perhaps; but I feel such tenderness and compassion for my children in this moment. I hear the urgency they each feel to dress themselves, to style their hair, and to prepare themselves for their weekly public debut in church.

As I sit here, I cannot help but wonder if we spend too many of our days lost in the urgency of preparing, of looking good, and fighting for bathroom space.

I think we do.

So today, there will be no church this fine Sunday morning. Instead, I am using my executive power as reigning Queen of my castle to decree that all seven of us will hop in the van and drive to one of our favorite nature trails.

It's a short drive and once we reach our destination, we will spill out into a wild place where there's no need to impress anyone. The birds won't care what we are wearing or whether our hair is fashionably styled.

Today, God's presence will be experienced through the warm sunshine on our faces, through the stretching of our muscles, and through the shrieks and laughter of five children unleashed.

Today, we will set aside the traditional, and experience a different kind of worship. The glory of God will still be ours to behold, to experience, and to treasure.

When we return from our adventure, I have no doubt that we will each feel the tired fullness of a day well spent.

We will have done what we set out to do.

We will have experienced the Sabbath.