Sabbath Mercy

Linking up with Five Minute Friday...

It's been whole week.
A week of 7 full days.

I've made a from-scratch two layer chocolate cake to feed 16 people.
I've celebrated a father-in-law's birthday 
with homemade brunch and slow cooked beef
and mashed potatoes made from the fruit of our garden.

My family has survived a 12 hour travel day - 
in the van,
2 adults, 3 kids
not enough DVDs.

I've listened and hurt and prayed with a friend 
going through difficult days.

My online graduate work has slowly gotten done - 
70 pages of reading
a quiz on the Old Testament Canon
3 forum posts.

I've been grocery shopping -
the massive kind done after being away for a week.

I've worked with my husband to plan a surprise birthday celebration for our daughter.

I've sorted and spotted laundry and it's waiting to be washed.

I've started packing for my week away on campus for my graduate work. And secured childcare so my husband can actually go to work when I'm gone.

I've done lesson planning for our upcoming year of home education.
Lessons that will help stretch and teach a 3rd grader, a 1st grader, and a preschooler.

And now it's Friday again.
Our family's sabbath day 
(because in ministry, Sunday doesn't cut it as a sabbath.)
Our day of rest.
A gift from Abba to be and not do.
A day to still my whirling mind from the tasks that have consumed it for the last 144 hours.
A time set aside to remind myself I can let go - 
because my list will still be there tomorrow,
and the world really will keep rotating if my list doesn't get done.
Moments spaced for me to revel 
in the fact it's not about me and my work.
No, Sabbath is a day to remember it's about God 
and the work He did through His son, Jesus.

So, this Sabbath, in particular, 
after this frenzied week
and much accomplished
but more still to do,

this Sabbath...
it's a mercy.
A great big, sloppy-wet-kiss kind of mercy.