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Bread for the Journey

A Day of Rest
I grew up in a home where Sundays were completely different from any other day of the week. We went to church, had a relaxed family dinner, mom and dad had a nap and we could play until friends came over and then play some more. We were not allowed to do homework. Now I know that sounds legalistic, but at the same time it was freeing. The only thing that rule did, was to force us to work ahead, and be able to enjoy a free day.

Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man. God, who created us, knew we would need rest, so He said we should work six days and rest one day. This is hard to do in our fast paced way of life when stores are open and life does not stop. But maybe we need to consider how we can slow down and take the time to sit at His feet. We may be surprised at what we can accomplish when we are rested and recharged.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30


17 comments:

  1. Thank you! What a wonderful reminder.
    Have a wonderful day of rest!

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  2. I grew up in a house like that too. I always remember my grandmother saying if you stitch on Sunday you will pick it out with your nose when you get to heaven. LOL As a kid that was scary. Many of us do not rest enough that is why there is so much stress in the world. Thanks for the reminder.

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  3. Yes....we observed the Sabbath much more in my youth than I see Christians observing it now. Of course, there were also very real cultural and practical reasons to be 'legalistic'...but the concept of putting aside personal and earthly pursuits in exchange for concentrating on the spiritual aspects is so sadly lacking today. This is a good reminder post. I do recall that in my home, even music of all kinds was prohibited and we were actually NOT allowed to make noise, play loudly or do homework. If guests arrived for a Sunday dinner (which was always always the case)...we would eat and the adults, including guests, would retire to corners of the house...resting and then snoring so loudly that we children DARED not wake them. Often we would sneak out to the fields nearby and play in God's open church...nature.

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  4. I have always been that way too. I don't do anything that pertains to working. I even almost lost a job once because I refused to work on Sunday. Thanks for sharing this reminder.

    until next time... nel

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  5. I grew up in a home like that too. In fact, after church many times we took a Sunday drive. I also remember that no one went shopping on Sunday because there were no stores open. Those were much more peaceful, relaxing Sundays.

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  6. I agree.. thank you for the reminder of WHY God gave us a day of rest...not to restrict us, but to refresh and rejuvinate us.
    And to remind us that resting in Him is the best rest of all!

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  7. I (unfortunately) did not grow up in a church going home but even my parents treated Sunday as something special.

    I remember when we moved to Holland, Michigan in 1980 and Sundays were very different than the rest of the week. Holland (at the time) had one of only two McDonald's in the nation that closed on Sundays. That changed shortly after we moved there.

    Before we moved away in 1989, a mall had been built and Sundays were becoming another shopping day.

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  8. Just reading a piece in the Sunday paper about setting entire weekends aside not for spiritual purposes, but for mental health purposes...no electronics of any sort...no music, no tv, no computer...oh dear! I do well remember not giving any weekend homework to my students ever. I was quite a popular gal with lots of parents, but I really did believe in families having weekends together. I think a quiet Sunday following quiet pursuits sounds lovely, but not particularly as a spiritual quest for every day is a Sabbath when we know the Lord.

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  9. Anneliese . ..having lived on a farm for thirty of my fifty years of life. . I watched first my Dad do the farm basics. . and now my beloved does the same. We appreciate a day to rest and have no feelings of guilt to get things done. It is a day set apart from the rest. I grew up that way .. .and even still. . hold the value that my parents taught me. I loved Sunday afternoons as a child. .it always meant a nap for my parents followed by faspa with cousins or friends.
    Sunday's.. .a day of rest is a gift from the Lord.

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  10. Having a day of rest is certainly biblical and the ideal but not always practical now days, I sometimes have to work on Sunday when the roster has me on duty. But mostly we rest after Church.

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  11. I just woke up from my Sunday afternoon nap! Yummy.
    I love the picture of the 3 wheelbarrows--wherever did you see such beautiful ones?

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  12. Sounds much like the Sundays I grew up with..only necessary work was done and since we lived on a dairy farm of course the cows had to be milked.
    Thanks for the reminder Anneliese..we do need that time of rest.

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  13. I grew up with a similar tradition even though we are Roman Catholic! Sundays were different. Mass at 10, then a big 'dinner' at 1pm. Afternoons for visiting with family, or going to the park with my parents, or maybe just going to a greenhouse to look around....ice skating with my brothers in the winter, but no work at all. Light supper at 5pm then family time. I have recreated this tradition now in some ways. Since we're self employed, the tendency is to work all the time, but I burn out if I do not at least take a Sunday off. Great post.

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  14. Perfect photo! I loved Sundays as a child. We knew what the day held. You are right...it was freeing, and a day to look forward to. It was a peaceful day...a fun day. I still enjoy the Sundays that we choose to set aside as a day of rest. Kathy

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  15. When my husband and I were first married he worked shifts (for years) and had to work every other Sunday. When he had worked on Sunday we found he pretty much took the Monday after off. So we made the decision that we would not work, shop, go to restaurants and the kids would do no homework on Sunday. God provided another job for us where no one worked on Sunday.

    We felt that not only should we not work, we shouldn't ask anyone else to work for us. The electronics have slowly crept into our Sundays but we limit them to certain shows and games.

    Thanks for reminding us why God gave us a day off.

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  16. We attend worship at 11, which means plenty of time for a nice breakfast. After services it is naptime/quiet time from 2-4. Our children are little (2 & 5) and they crave this nap and rest as much as my husband and I. Then at 4 we are all refreshed and ready to come back together for some family time and a nice early supper. I find it resets us for the week ahead.

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