Allan Paquette

It has become painfully obvious to me (and my wife) that I am in need of regular Sabbath. A lot of times we view commands from the Old Testament being outdated and unnecessary, but there is a definite need for us to have regular and intentional rest.

Sometimes the pace of my life far outweighs the pace of what my body and spirit can handle and the past couple of days have brought that to light. I’m typically a patient and calm person, but that hasn’t been the case as of late. The consensus after a late-night discussion is that I have to commit myself to rest.

I realized this morning that I often relegate Sabbath to being a one day a week thing, but I am realizing that to truly appreciate rest, I must not only find it during each day but create time for it each day. I usually race around from one thing to the next and miss out on the small moments of rest that God has waiting for me. If I am intentional about getting out of bed a few minutes earlier or arriving somewhere with a few moments to spare I will undoubtedly see more of God’s presence and be more aware of how He is moving. On top of that, I can only imagine how much more meaning a true day of rest would bring with it. I usually get more hung up on the fact that our “lazy day” is over and that I have to return to my responsibilities rather than being whole-heartedly grateful for the peace and rejuvenation that God has provided for us.

Check out this link on the Jewish perspective of the Sabbath (or more appropriately Shabbat).