::practicing rhythms of sabbath & rest::

Resting is going to a Christmas market
Being a guest on a podcast was never one of my life goals but if it was, it's been fulfilled! I got a text out of the blue from a college friend who has started a podcast around "pursuing justice, cultivating community, and considering questions" to quote from the description. She asked me to have a conversation with her on Sabbath and rest. I didn't feel like I had particularly profound thoughts on the subject but was honored and agreed to do it. We recorded a few days before Christmas and it was one of the most restful things I'd done in quite a while. The podcast is called "this is what we are about", you can listen to it here as well as on Spotify and iTunes.

I started practicing Sabbath and resting when I started college. My parents suggested it to me and me, being an impressionable freshman who was determined to do everything right (ha!), decided to do so. This meant not doing homework or studying for 24 hours from Saturday night after dinner till Sunday dinner. Practically, this meant I spent most of my Saturday studying while my friends went into Chicago, slept till noon, or did other fun activities that weren't being shut up in the library for hours. Then when I was free on Sunday, they were busy studying. It was challenging to be at odds schedule-wise with my friends but most of the time, I didn't mind too much. I looked forward to Sunday because I knew time was set aside to rest and recharge. It took preparation throughout the week and self-discipline but it was honestly one of the best practices I developed in college.

Taking a Sabbath consistently is what saved what was left of my sanity through college. I'm the kind of person who will never stop doing and going if I don't force myself to take a break. There's always more to do in college, more people to talk to, more events to attend, more homework to catch up on, etc. I would've broken down multiple times emotionally and/or mentally if I didn't choose to rest once a week. Admittedly, I didn't keep Sabbath perfectly in 4 years and I recognized there were times when I needed to break it. Sometimes I had to work on Sunday and I only took a partial day or I switched my days so I took Saturday as Sabbath instead of Sunday. But I never wavered on the fact that I needed to rest for one day a week and I'm so, so grateful for that. 

Resting is reading at the library
Resting and taking a Sabbath is intentionally stepping away from normal rhythms to do thing(s) that are renewing and life-giving to you, emotionally/mentally/physically/spiritually. It doesn't always mean napping though if you need sleep, definitely do it! Resting can be difficult to define because it can be a multitude of practices. Part of it is dependent on you, what are your needs that week/day/hour, and what are you able to do, access-, privilege-, and time-wise. Resting is both about being able to say no and being able to say yes, to set your boundaries and hold to them as well as allowing things and people into your life that will fill you up. For me, resting usually means reading a fun book, having alone time, journaling or writing in some way, and sometimes having a good conversation with a friend. But what's restful for you is probably different and that's where self-awareness and self-care come into play. If you don't know where to start, I'd encourage you to listen to your body and the Holy Spirit, they will guide you to restful practices and people.

Resting is coffee dates
Don't be afraid of rest and of slowing down. We Americans so highly prize productivity that we get caught up in the lie that if we don't "do", we have no value in society. Resting doesn't look like "doing" in the eyes of our society and in a way, it's not and that's okay. Resting is about filling you up, giving you what you need so you can 'do' even better. You can give 100% to what happens tomorrow instead of running on half full or almost empty. You can better love and have patience with those around you in place of snapping or being upset. You're able to have perspective on the past, present, and future rather than being scattered or rushed. Taking a Sabbath is hard, I recognize that, but it's also totally worth it. It takes time to build a habit and I encourage you to start now. I'm figuring out Sabbath over again as I work funky hours and my times to rest aren't as "normal" so to speak. I'm there with you. I believe this is one of the best practices you can implement because it will affect every part of your life, whether you're cognizant of it or not. I have many more thoughts which is why I have the longest podcast to date. So let's have a conversation about what Sabbath and rest mean to you or maybe I'll write a part two to this blog post someday.

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