preparing

 Blessed be to God for the day of rest and religious occupation wherein earthly things assume their true size.  Ambition is stunted.  ~ William Wilberforce
 

Today we Prepare.  Tomorrow is the Lord's Day.

I have been long in coming to the place of understanding that the Sabbath is a day to anticipate.  For too long, the day arrived unheeded - or worse, dreaded - because Sundays meant an awful morning rush, followed by work  (at church) and then "what's for lunch? and dinner?"

When I stumbled across this article a light went on.  In a busy life, a day of rest requires a day of preparation. 

Today I will clean the house as I would for company, finish the laundry and bake some bread.  When evening comes, Lord willing, the rooms and the kids will be clean and tomorrow's clothes set out.  Most importantly, I begin to prepare my heart.  It is a time for opening up the week's mental log book and examining its contents.  Are my attitudes right?  Am I keeping to what He has said? 

In his book, Ordering Your Private World ,Gordon MacDonald asserts, "The rest God instituted was meant first and foremost to cause us to interpret our work, to press meaning into it, to make sure we know to whom it is properly dedicated. "   The plodding pace of housework lends itself beautifully to such interpretations.  Slowly, the Lord does His own cleaning in my heart.

The older I get, the more I find myself in need of these steady rhythms and observances.  They become faithful guardians over the peace of our home and spirits.

"There is no legalism here--rather freedom to accept a gift.   Frankly, I think some have destroyed the joy of Sabbath, as did the Pharisees, by surrounding it with prescriptive laws and precedents.  That is not our Sabbath.  Our Sabbath was made for us, given to us by God.  Its purpose is worship and restoration, and whatever it takes to make that happen, we will do."  ~ Gordon MacDonald

Last week, as we sat around the table, Mark pointed us to Deuteronomy 5:15  "And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt....therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."  We marveled when we realized that the slave cannot expect a Sabbath rest.  It is the privilege of the free to cease from work.

Today, although the work is sometimes busy, dull, tiresome - we will do what it takes; and tomorrow we will celebrate His gift to us in freedom.

Comments

[lilygirl]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this...

~lilygirl
(a.k.a Josie)

[Leigh Ann]

Thanks for this reminder. Sometimes I expect it all to come together because, hey, it's supposed to be a day of rest. Guess I'll go prepare to rest.
Leigh Ann

[Kelli in TN]

I used to be so disciplined about this. As more kids came along I let the tensions of everyday life creep in and rob me of this joyful celebration and Sunday has become just another day.

Thanks, Tonia, we all need this reminder.

[Jennifer]

A very good reminder indeed. You have made me look at my Saturday differently-as a day to prepare. I will rethink my to-dos and make sure I prepare for tomorrow. Thank you.

[ReneeM]

that is very awesome!! between you, Ann V, and Molly - good heavens. God is using you all to help my brain rethink so much!!

NOW, I need to take this and translate it into home church, and an evening worship gathering instead of a morning one.

I sat yesterday with a good friend, and we discussed what the purpose was of gathering together, and what are attitude should be. And our conclusion, for the time, is an attitude of anticipation... meeting with God. Its a big deal. Its awesome. and this preparation goes right with it, I think.

[Lyn]

WOW! I just sit here staring at the screen and am in awe of this one sentence:

"It is the privilege of the free to cease from work."

WOW! Thank you for writing this. And making me stop. And think. And rest.

[tonia]

Oh, I am so glad this ministered to you all! May you have a blessed, restful Lord's Day - each and every one of you.

[islandsparrow]

and a blessed Sabbath to you too, my friend Tonia. Thank you for this post.

[Andrea]

Thank you for this post - it touched my heart today!

[Tanya Nichols]

My grandmother taught me this...she would start on Monday preparing for the following Sunday...Monday was preparing the childrens clothes for sunday, washing, drying, ironing!
Awesome you can pass that down to your children!

[beth]

Sabbath peace... yes, a necessity indeed.