My husband and I had the pleasure of going through our things as we prepared to come and live in Paraguay. Since we were going to be boxing and storing our possessions, we wanted to make sure that we were only keeping those things that we really liked. It was amazing how many things that we had that we didn't really need – we took multiple trips to thrift stores and gave many things away. And then, we packed up what was left – mostly our clothes, a few books, a computer, and some other small things. This is how we often think of what it means to live a simple life – to have few possessions weighing us down. This is not to say that this is not part of the picture, but I have been contemplating the keeping of Sabbath rest as a main component of what it means to live simply.
I myself had not realized how busy I had been keeping myself in Kansas City until we were here in Paraguay. With NTS, work in my church, family, and little free time I felt as though I was constantly on the move with little rest and little ambition to make time for Sabbath rest. For me it wasn't things that cluttered my life, but what I did with my time that made my life more complex. I was always trying to do more for school, more for church, and more with my husband and friends – which left little to no time for Sabbath rest.
I have been reading Marva Dawn's book - The Sense of the Call: A Sabbath way of life for those who serve God, the Church, and the World - since I have been here in Paraguay. It is ironic that I couldn't find the time to read it when we were living in Kansas City. But, anyway in one of the beginning chapters - “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly as a Restful Manner of Life” - Dawn talks about the side effects of stress on people in the United States. She says that it is the leading cause of death! We kill ourselves more and more and stress ourselves out as we do it; all the while we are actually hurting ourselves. “If we want to know our authentic being, if we want to embrace our call thoroughly, if we love the LORD with all our hearts and souls and minds and strengths, then there is no better way to respond to the Trinity's holiness than to enter into the total reclamation, revitalization, and renewal of His holy gift of Sabbath” (Dawn, 69).
While in full time studies at NTS, I always thought that life would clam down when I was no longer in school and working full time at a church. But, if we do not begin participating in this Sabbath rest now and developing this necessary habit and way of life now – will it ever really be a part of our lives? Can we live simple and content lives without finding ourselves in the rest of God? Do we really think so much of ourselves and our work to not take some time for Sabbath rest?
I know that I did and still do struggle with this. It is hard to rest and take a break from the busyness of life when one is taught to work, work, work and be ever “productive”. I have had a difficult time in Paraguay at times because there have been times when I am not busy. There is down time, there is rest, and I almost do not know what to do. It is difficult for me to remember that life will still go on without me trying to do everything. Perhaps it will even be better. And so, while I am here in Paraguay I am thinking about Sabbath rest and how to make this a part of my life now – as a student, as a wife, as a friend, as a follower of Christ. Can one live a simple and content life without being “reclaimed, revitalized, and renewed by God's holy gift of Sabbath”?
But... how does one do this? It sounds nice on paper, but even as I am writing this I wonder how this fits along with our lives. How do we actually put this into practice with all of the demands of our lives? Perhaps the problem is that we try to “fit it in” rather than allowing this Sabbath rest to be the starting point from which our lives are ordered.
Dios te bendiga!
Posted on
Mon, August 25, 2008
by Sarah Voigt