Remember the Sabbath Day...

There was a time, when I used to feel guilty, back in undergrad days, when I didn't make the best use of the weekend, getting every last jot and tittle of my unrealistic plan for studying accomplished. Then somewhere along the way, still in undergrad, I was introduced to the concept of keeping the Sabbath. Some concept, huh? Not exactly new! :-) But still new to me. I remembered my parents loving their Sunday naps and hating when they made me have quiet time in my room so they could rest in peace, but I never connected it to Sabbath-keeping. After all, Dad was working hard on Sunday morning as a pastor. I just figured they were tired and that was all there was to it. Well, the exhaustion that comes with being an overachiever, new to college life and freedom to stay up LATE, hang with friends at all hours, etc, finally caught up to me not long into SPU life. Thus, when Marva Dawn came and spoke to us about the idea of keeping the Sabbath and SPU got on board with talk of Sabbath culture or something (we were all about culture talk at SPU), I was all ears. I read her book on it, and loved the concept so much I was inspired to enact it in my own life--much to my little mind and body's surprise and delight. It's a good thing!!

All of this to say that today, when my 40-minute power nap before working on my Aquinas paper turned into 3 hours of heavy sleeping, I relished in it rather than say FREAKING OUT THAT I'M BEHIND IN MY PAPER WRITING SCHEDULE! Seriously, I'm now fully recharged and my mind is as clear as a bell. I'll have many productive hours to write tonight and that is all that matters. Thanks, God, for making the Sabbath for us and not us for the Sabbath!

PS: A word to the wise, sleeping with two fleece blankets over you does not seem to help one stick to a 40-minute nap schedule. I was so incredibly warm and toasty (but not TOO warm and toasty) that my body felt on kind of a movement lock-down. I couldn't possibly have gotten up any earlier if I had tried. Wild horses would have had to drag those blankets from me! Or somethin'! ;-)