Sunday, "the day of rest"

In all honesty this is an area of my life in which I struggle.  The energizer bunny in me just wants to keep going, just one more thing and then I'll sit down.  Before I know it, it's 10:00 pm.

Looking back, I think my Sunday day of rest fell by the wayside after our first baby.  I was still working in corporate America and Sunday became my get things done day before the work week started.  

When our first baby arrived, everyone tells you, "sleep when baby sleeps", I thought, "yea right".  For one thing our first baby was opposed to sleeping.  He was born WIDE awake!  During his quick cat naps I picked up the house and did laundry.

Our second baby was a sleeper, but I was already use to living on a Mountain Dew IV.  I thought, I'll rest when the kids are older.  Now they're both teenagers and I still find it a struggle to make time to rest.  

God calls on us to rest.  Many times in the Bible He talks about finding rest in Him.  God Himself rested on the seventh day after days of creating.  If we don't make time rest, we aren't making time to really listen for His voice in our lives.  If we don't rest in HIm we may be too busy to hear the great things He has for us.

I've finally surrendered to the following...

• the laundry will never be done, at the end of everyday there will always be four(or many more) dirty outfits in the laundry room.
• there will always be "stuff" that can be put away
• there will always be something that needs cleaning

I realize we all have different ideas of what Sunday, the day of rest should look like.  Mine sometimes looks like this.

• going to church as a family
• dinner as a family(which could be anything from Sam's Club Cafe to dinner at home or anything in between)  at least we're all together
• reading a magazine or a few blogs
• a nap on the couch while son and hubby watch football
• baking or sewing 
• a family game of bocce ball or ladder golf in the summer, a board game in the winter
• a walk with my hubby
• talking to the neighbors on their front porch
• even painting a piece of furniture, no scrubbing or sanding(that's work)

Basically doing something I enjoy.

Sometimes Sunday, the day of rest just happens naturally because hubby and I are physically tired from Saturday and all the things we've done.

In this busy season of life there is always more to do.  I just have to make a little time to rest.