Lazy Days, Undivided Attention and Sabbath Rest

As I shared a few days ago, my husband had knee surgery recently. In the days since then, we have lived a slow, lazy life here in our cozy home.  We have watched several movies, discovered a wonderful new tv series on Netflix and eaten every few hours.  We have slept late, read books, taken naps and played with the dog.  I have kept his ice pack machine running and kept track of when he takes which medicine.  Last night, since he was feeling a little better, we met some friends for a quiet dinner.  This morning, since showering is still a bit more of a production than usual, we opted to worship with our new church via live stream.  While I wouldn’t want to forgo corporate worship every week, it was kind of nice to pour an extra cup of coffee and snuggle under a warm blankie as we prepared for the sermon to start.  In spite of the discomfort he was experiencing the first day or so, I think he would agree that the past few days have provided a relaxing respite from our busy lives.

This surgery has been a long time coming and we intentionally scheduled it this fall after the girls left for school and after the big Lamb Center event with which I was involved.  We weren’t really sure what the recovery would entail, so we planned it when he would have my full, undivided attention for as long as he might need it. For the last 20+ years of hands on parenting, it has been very rare for him to have my full, undivided attention.

Truthfully, in our constantly connected internet world, I’m not sure undivided attention is even real anymore.  In spite of the pretty picture of domestic bliss I have painted, I must admit that we both have had our phone and our computer close by as we have spent this time together over the past few days.  A symptom, I suppose, of this world we live in and the busy lives we both lead.

Still, it has been a blessing to have the freedom to just take care of him for a few days.  He was forced to slow down and relax, something that he finds difficult, but it helped him for me to join him.  Being the loving wife that I am, I agreed to lay around and do nothing for several days just to keep him company 🙂  Seriously, it was nice to give ourselves permission to rest and relax for a few days, even if it to some degree was forced on one of us.

As a Christian, it is kind of ironic that we often feel that we need an “excuse” to rest.  In His top 10, God reminds us that we are created for Sabbath….a time when we stop and rest.  I have written before about my favorite book about Sabbath called The Rest of God.  The author, Mark Buchanan, say that this is the golden rule of Sabbath keeping:

Cease from what is necessary.  Embrace that which gives life.

Rest for our body.  Rest for our mind.  Nurturing our connection with those who matter most to us.  Activities that feed our spirit.  In computer language, a time to reboot.  We were created with the need to find Sabbath time in our busy lives and I suspect that we miss out on our best selves when we forget this truth.  These last few days have been a good reminder.

For those of you who have been praying for my sweetie and his healing, thank you!  He is headed back to work in the morning, so things are quickly getting back to normal.  Praise God for modern medicine!

So tell me in the comments below, how do you make time for rest in your busy life?  Do you find it difficult without something “big” to make you slow down? Or do you build in Sabbath as part of the rhythm of your life?   I would love to hear from you!