A Day of rest

The posts below are sweet, joyous, and include photos of the kids. If you aren't in the mood to hear (read?) my ruminations today, jump ahead. You won't hurt my feelings - I think the kids are pretty cute too!

See, as I posted the photos below, I realized that they are all from Sunday. And that months after working on keeping Sunday as a day of rest, I had one that really created a peace that has carried me all day.

Who would have thought that choosing to take a day of rest would have become such a struggle? I'm not talking about the old-fashioned, George Washington, have-to-sit-inside-all-day-reading-books-and-being-quiet day of rest... we just set out to have day with no errands, no chores, no email, minimal cooking, and lots of unplanned family time.

What we did NOT take into account...

My border collie personality that will herd tennis balls if that's all that's left to do.

Sundays were making me miserable. I was trapped in a house where I could see a million things that needed doing and unable to do any of them. By 5:00pm, I would be pacing the yard, hands behind my back, muttering under my breath. Around this time, Big E. would send me to my room for a breather -- for everyones sake.

Still, we've worked at it. For one thing, because we realized a few years ago that when we don't, the weeks just roll into one another and life slips by without purpose or evaluation. And for another, I wanted to establish a sacrosanct family time now before birthday parties and soccer games started appearing on Sundays. But mostly, because God included it in the Ten Commandments, up there with Do Not Kill and Do Not Commit Adultery. And we just felt that if He ranked it that high, we should probably do our best to have it at a high priority as well. We started in obedience. Actually, I continued mostly out of obedience, but I think the corner into joy has been turned.

We've hurt some people we love by refusing engagements. We've taken some flak from business associates who already think we coast easy with Big E. working from home.

But this Sunday, I noticed that the kids were content. We watched some football, we played some games, we went for a walk in the woods, we ENJOYED one another. I took my eyes off my house and shifted them to my family - how could I fill their hearts today? And I shifted them to my Father - have I thanked You enough for the blessings you have poured upon us?

And it worked! I rested, not in stillness, but in the lap of my Father and my family. Now that's a place to call home.