I got a call about year ago requesting that I be the best man in a wedding. Back when I agreed, the plan was to go from Chicago to Washington State, but as time progressed and the opportunity to be at Aldersgate presented itself, so my trip nearly doubled. My trip from Washington to Washington became an all-day affair (who had the brilliant idea to name a state after the same president as our nation’s capital anyway?)
After a few hours of delay in departure, my flight was scheduled to land in Chicago before continuing onto Seattle. However, when we landed, something happened to the plane, which meant that we were put on a different flight that would require an additional stop in Kansas City. Hours passed on the plane, and I missed my connecting flight from Seattle to Yakima, WA. The next morning I finally arrived at my destination. After my long trip, we got to work setting things up for the wedding, showing me around “the Washington desert” (who knew there was a desert in Washington?) and plenty of other responsibilities. My visit was filled with activity and excitement.
Fast-forward to after the wedding, another college friend took me back to Portland, OR with him. We hiked around Mt. Saint Helens, rode down parts of the mountain on snow like it was a slide, and explored about 12 miles of beautiful trails. The experience was incredible. The next day, while my friend had to work, I drove myself to the beach. Where for the first time in a long time, I did absolutely nothing. I sat, I walked, I lay down, I jogged, but for the first time all trip I did whatever I wanted to do at exactly the pace that I wanted to do it. I loved every minute of the time I got to spend with long missed friends, but the sensation of being completely free was eye opening for me.
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6 days God created the world, and on the 7th he rested. That is the reasoning behind the Jewish practice of Sabbath. But during my beach visit, I understood God’s greater purpose. Sabbath allows us the freedom to become aware of the beauty that surrounds us and recognize the grandeur of the world. But I quickly realized, I don’t have to be on the Pacific Coast to clear my mind, I just need to be out of my own home.
Prior to the trip, I practiced a weekly Sabbath (a day without any work.) It was something I found essential during my Seminary experience to balance the excessive reading. But what I learned from this experience is the importance of getting out of my own home for my Sabbath. The tendency to clean or do some other chore around the house on my Sabbath is too easy. But that was not the intention of the Sabbath. It was created for my own rest, not to catch up, and definitely not because God needed a rest.
Which is why I encourage you, find a day where you can get away. You don’t have to go far, and you don’t even have to spend money, just find a place where you can be away from the daily grind and remember that life is far bigger than you. Be reminded that the world continues before and after you. The world is a place filled with common day activity, find place in your life for awe; in the presence of awe, connection to and awareness of God follows close behind.
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