Preparing For Sabbath

Everyone has heard the statement that a mom’s job is the “hardest job in the world.”
 
I can name many reasons for that statement to ring true; the endless to do lists, the sleepless nights, the many demands put on us daily in raising our tiny humans, etc.
 
Other than the constant worry we are even doing the right thing at all in this journey is the fact that we just don’t get a break! 

​Typical breaks to a mom you hear are her going to the grocery store alone, wandering the isles in peace. I’ve even heard a mom say that going to the dentist was the longest break she’s had in weeks; how relaxing it was! 
 
But are those truly breaks? Isn’t a break supposed to be a break, not getting anything done or checking your list at all?
 
Authentic breaks where we can actually turn “off.”
 
Can that even exist in our busy worlds? Can we ever successfully turn off? 
 
The bible suggests that on the seventh day we rest; Sabbath. Sabbath known as a day of rest or “A day of religious observance and abstinence from work.”
 
As a mom, when I hear the word Sabbath, I laugh to myself, “I’m a mom…Sabbath, rest? Like that will happen!” 
 
“I can’t afford to take a day off. I’ll get so behind” 
 
“I’ve got to just quickly finish this here and then maybe after I’ll rest!” 
 
“Oh, tonight once the kids are in bed… I’m totally going to finally have ME time!” 
 
Does it happen? Do I finally rest? 
 
No. Never. 
 
I’m noticing the pattern, even if I catch up on the list…there’s a new one tomorrow.  If I say I’ll rest later, I never end up doing it. If I wait for the kids to be in bed, I’m exhausted from the day’s work that I pass out early. 
 
Ring true to anyone else? 
 
But how do we turn off? Off amongst the lists? Amongst the chaos, amongst the busy, amongst the loudness that is life? How do I effectively sabbath? 
 
You plan for it. 
 
Simple as that. You have to PLAN to break. 
 
We plan dinner, plan errands, plan all the daily happenings within our families and we also have to plan for Sabbath. 
 
Now, Sabbath doesn’t have to be Sundays; I actually find Sundays to be quite busy as we prepare for the week and doesn’t work for me. To be honest, every week my Sabbath is different too. It doesn’t even have to be a full day either. 
 
The day, a half day, an hour; I schedule it. 
 
Today is Thursday. It’s my Sabbath. I’m currently enjoying quiet time reading, blogging, listening to music and even had a nap. (My husband is home and gifting me with this beautiful time! Yup, I planned it today for that very reason!)
 
When I say schedule Sabbath, I mean schedule everything about the day! As moms, we still need to change diapers, feed our littles (yes, they’re sadly still hungry even if we are “sabbathing.”  So, what do I do? 
 
I make dinner the night before so it’s just something I throw in the oven, use up a premade freezer meal or plan for take-out and plan to leave every single dish until the morning. It’s ok, I’ll survive one day without getting this done! 
 
I tidy up my house the night before so that I can actually sit and relax and not stare at the mess (this helps me to relax more!) I purposely turn on music that is calming and uplifts me, I plan to do something that gives me joy and REST! 
 
But how do you effectively Sabbath when kids are still in your space? 
 
No joke…I hide in my kid’s rooms.
 
They find you in the bathroom, they find you in your room, but they don’t ever think to find you in theirs! 
 
Please note: I don’t endorse you Sabbath alone unless that’s what Sabbath means to you. I also don’t advice you hide in your kid’s rooms unless a responsible adult is watching your children, haha!  
 
Guess where I am right now? Yup, in my toddlers’ room, lounging in his bed. There’s a great window in here with view, his bed is super comfy (new mattress!) and I’m being refreshed to keep momming (tomorrow!). It’s my little Sabbath spot that works lately as hilarious as it is, but it works!  
 
We all deserve a break. We owe it to ourselves to schedule it, to plan for it and to make it priority. 
 
Plan your break. Enjoy it. Don’t feel guilty about it. 
 
Cheers from my kid’s bedroom to your Sabbath spot wherever it may be. 
 
Rest and be blessed!