Posts Tagged ‘sabbath’

A health professional I know wanted to offer a class on survival tips for this busy holiday season but people told her, they were too busy to attend.  We laughed about it but it is a sad commentary on the way we celebrate many holidays.  And the way many move through each day.

A writer, Robert Benson, once wrote that we move so fast that often if we stop to think about it, we can get ourselves tired for the next day as well. We often live on the edge of exhaustion, not realizing how tired we are.

What to do?  I find a morning stretch or yoga sequence to be a refreshing way to begin the day.  I listen to music while I eat breakfast and read the morning paper – the images and noise of TV are too jarring for me in the morning.  I make a list of things to do and calls or emails to send – a way to focus the day.  I get up from my desk often to get or refill my  cup of tea – a breather from looking at screens and a time to say hello to co-workers.  I don’t read all the ads that come in this season – there is way too much stuff in my life.

What do you do?  Breathe deep and have a blessed holiday season.

Last week I ended a six day trip to England to see friends from the time I served a church in Manchester from 1973-1975.  My wife and I had a wonderful visit with these dear friends, recalling old stories and catching up on new events.  Drinking lots of tea and eating chocolate digestive biscuits (cookies is the American translation) is still one of my favorite things to do in England.

I had an uneventful return flight, made it through customs with my cookies (biscuits) and arrived home by 7 pm on the same day of travel.  I showed up at the office the next morning at 9 am and promptly fell asleep in my chair.  My body was here but I was not so sure about the rest of me.  It made me remember a story about Native Americans working on the Alaskan pipe line who rested on a Sunday even though the crew chief promised them triple time if they would work one more day. They were good workers and had built a lot of pipeline that week, but would not work an extra day.  When asked, “why?” they responded, “we are waiting for our souls to catch up.”

There is wisdom there.  How often do I go so fast that I leave part of me behind?  Thanks for stories and bodies that remind us to rest, take sabbath.