I said, “Liv and I made some bouquets out of flowers from the garden. There is beauty in the midst of the disaster.”
She replied, “Look at that message of hope sitting there on the counter!”
And it just made me stop and think…do we look for the message of hope? It’s always there. Truly. Whatever you’re going through, whatever hardship you are facing, whatever situation seems hopeless, there is always a message of hope.
If you aren’t in the habit of looking for the message of hope, it might seem hard to find or maybe even impossible. I used to feel that way.
Years ago I struggled through some really deep depression. Every day was a battle in my mind and the thoughts of hopelessness often won out. I spent a lot of time in my head, spiraling round and round negative thoughts and hope seemed nonexistent.
I remember telling a lady a church that I often felt hopeless. She replied, “I’ve felt that way, but remember, there is ALWAYS hope.” It seemed facetious at the time, but it is really true. There really is always hope.
And the more you start looking for it, the more you’ll see it, and the more you see it, the greater your thankfulness and joy will be. And then you’ll start seeing hope in every situation and you’ll suddenly find yourself naturally pointing it out to others.
One day, I remember it hitting me that I didn’t have to dig and try to see the hope anymore. I had fought so hard for a long time to see it in everyday that it had become a habit to look for it. Suddenly I was more of an optimist than ever before.
I remember thanking God for completely changing my mindset and outlook. I went from seeing the dark, the hard, the struggle, to seeing the light, the blessings and the hope.
I’m not saying it’s easy, it’s not. It’s a true battle. But it is possible. And believe me when I say, there is always “a message of hope sitting right there on the counter!”
One practical thing I did when I was in the midst of the battle was to write down three things every night that I was thankful for. Sometimes it was a true challenge to come up with three, but I forced myself to do it every night before bed. And before long, it became easier and easier and I was writing ten or more items down.
Life is hard. There’s a lot of ups and downs. We get to choose how to look at and face those challenges. Why not face them with a message of hope?
Usually on a hobby farm, summer is the busiest time of the year, especially in Minnesota. We feel rushed because we only have a few months before the weather turns and we’re forced to stop laboring outside. We cram in all the repair work, the animal things, the landscaping and gardening, the projects to improve the place. And we never seem to have enough time.
This summer has been so different. We’ve been forced to rest by ridiculously heavy rainfall and flooding. At this point my garden is so full of weeds, it’s beginning to look once again like the pasture we took it from. And I don’t know that I can recover it. And, honestly, I’m not sure the Lord wants us to.
As we’ve been forced into rest, we’ve experienced some really sweet time together. We’ve had Andrew home for two weeks now. It still feels a little surreal, like he just took a vacation to get some things done.
Andrew and I have gone on ‘dates’, running to Menards, Walmart, Fleet Farm and Costco. We’re enjoying working together on projects all around the farm and accomplishing things. The kids have loved having Daddy around to play, swim, and do things with. It’s been a renewing of all our relationships and a true blessing from the Lord.
In the midst of the hard and unknown we always have two choices. We can sit in the yuck and stew on the what ifs and why nots and how comes. We can face our eyes to the storm, watch the swirling clouds and wind and rain. We can look only at the situation at hand and wish it were different.
Or, we can ask ourselves “what am I supposed to learn and what is God teaching me”. We can look up to our Creator and Savior, who can’t be dethroned by anyone or anything, and trust Him. We can search for the blessings in the midst of the hard.
Trust me, the blessings are always there. Always. God loves to lavish on us His blessings. And they are abundant, beautiful, and perfect. Sometimes the blessings aren’t even seen or understood for a while, but they are there and will be revealed to you.
Take heart, mamas! Whatever you are going through, God is with you. He loves you. He sees you. He knows exactly what you need. It just might look a little different than you had planned. But it’ll always be better than you had planned.
We have no idea what we’re supposed to do with our garden. We have no idea where Andrew will get a job. We have no handle on our future. That might sound scary, but it actually is so freeing. God removed the burdens and has given us rest. And so, we accept that rest and thank Him for it!
Have you ever read a recipe where it calls for you to sift flour? I think it’s a step that’s gone by the wayside in most recipes, but every once in a while I still come across it. Honestly, I often skip the step. But I do have a handy little tool to sift if I choose to. It was probably much more widely used before machinery was improved to sift things out in the factory before the flour made it to us. Now, we get pretty clean, fine flour easily.
We sift to take out the large clumps and debris so our recipe turns out right.
A friend, when she moved to a new house, took all the dirt her hubby had dug out for a window well and sifted all the rocks out of it to make the dirt useable for a garden. It was a grueling task, and one she wouldn’t want to repeat.
I heard this recently: we often think when people, jobs, opportunities, good things are taken from our lives we blame Satan. We think it’s the adversary working evil in our lives. And sometimes that can be true. But, nine times out of ten, it’s actually God sifting.
We don’t like sifting when it happens in our lives. It feels painful, like grueling, backbreaking work. We want it to stop. We even fight it with all we have. But God works all things together for our good. That means sifting is for our good.
The Bible refers to it as pruning. If you have fruit trees, you know the amount of pruning involved. Every winter I take 50% of the branches out of my trees. It feels like so many and it seems awful. It’s also a lot of work. But in the end, it reaps a harvest of much greater magnitude than we could imagine.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2
If we could look into the future and see what God has in store for us when he’s sifting, we would definitely stop fighting it, even if it feels painful in the moment. Which means we should probably have enough faith in the moment to allow it to happen.
As I’ve thought about this summer, the word sifting keeps coming to mind. God keeps removing. I can’t say I’ve just accepted it and not fought it. There have been so many moments where I’ve asked, “What are you doing, God?” And not in a nice, questioning way, but in more of a “are you serious right now?” kind of way.
This past week, God sifted again. He removed Andrew’s job.
The emotions for me have been a rollercoaster. Andrew has just been overjoyed, relaxed, and back to the Andrew I knew and loved. I honestly didn’t even realize how burned out he had gotten until I’ve seen him back to his old self this past week.
It hasn’t been easy. First God removed the garden and our CSA. Then Andrew’s job. I’m not sure what He’s doing, but I do know He is good all the time. I do know I can trust Him with all my heart. I do know He is on His throne. I do know He knows what He’s doing. And I keep telling myself those truths because I refuse to live in the sadness, fear, or anxiety that can creep in. God has always provided for us and I know He always will.
For now, I know God has been telling our family to rest. He’s forced it upon us really. And it’s been so good and so sweet. We have time to play and get in the pool with our kids. We have time for having people over. We have time for each other. Andrew is smiling and joking again. We’re taking advantage of this time God has gifted us as a family with Daddy home everyday. It’s a true blessing to have so much time with him after years of 60-70 hour work weeks.
And so, in the midst of the sifting, I’m thankful. Thankful that our good good Father knows our every need and blesses us with it in ways we couldn’t imagine. After the shock wears off, we can be thankful. Thankful for time, laughter, projects getting done, good sleep, family fun. Thankful our God loves us so much that He sifts.
Long ago, when my oldest were little, I was invited to be part of a Bible study. A good friend invited me along. It probably doesn’t seem like it to those who know me, but when I enter a new group of people I get shy and nervous. But, I went with my friend and walked into a small group of women, most of whom I didn’t know.
Little did I know that evening would become my favorite evening every week. I looked forward to it eagerly and hungrily. I came to love those women like sisters. We cried together, prayed together, ate delicious desserts together, and learned so much about God together.
The leader of that group became a dear dear friend and mentor to me. She modeled godly life and love daily to me for many years. I still consider her one of the dearest souls I know, though we don’t see each other as often as we used to. While that Thursday night Bible study is no more, the lessons I learned and the relationships I made have stuck with me for 20 years.
I just had coffee with that wonderful mentor. I don’t think we’ve sat down together for five years which is just awful. But it was a sweet time today. She’s still just as amazing at turning every person she meets towards Jesus. She’s still just as encouraging and optimistic. I learned a lot about how to look at life from her.
Today as we were catching up, she was sharing a story about someone she’s been trying to encourage. Someone who fills their time and minutes to their fullest and yet is left wanting. One thing she was always so good at and I’ve tried to learn from her, is to ask good questions.
She asked this friend, “Do you think you need more silence in your life?”
That just struck me so profoundly.
Silence.
Pacific Ocean, San Diego
When do we experience silence? Do we ever purposefully sit in silence? And when it is silent, are we filling it with our own thoughts, to do lists, projects?
Are we ever truly just silent? Mind and body still? Just listening?
It was a convicting thought. One I intend to ponder.
When we drive is the music filling the space? Or maybe screaming kids? When we fold laundry or do dishes, are we listening to a podcast or YouTube videos? When we sit on the porch are we scrolling Facebook?
I used to be much worse at filling every white space on my calendar. I used to look at an empty day as a place to put another activity, say yes to another playdate, drive to another event. Now, I look at those white spaces and see opportunity to say no, stay home, rest, catch up on things, and just be present with my family.
So, I’d say I’ve improved as far as how busy I am. I still have a ways to go. But to really just be silent…
That’s a new opportunity for learning and growth for sure.
You’ve seen the saying “Be still and know I am God” on signs and t-shirts. But have you ever really stopped to think about what that means or where it’s from?
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
God will be exalted in the nations and the earth. It’s inevitable. It may not seem like it in the chaos of our world, but it’s coming. Be sure of that. And be at peace. Whatever you are going through, whatever chaos, crisis, catastrophe you are facing, Be Still.
Be still and know that he is God. He is on His throne. He has your best interests at heart. And He’s powerful enough to see it through to completion.
Do you need a little more silence in your life? I do. It’s time to let those white spaces on our calendar be silence. It’s time to sit and listen without asking, pleading, wanting. It’s time to know that He is God.
I haven’t said much this summer. It’s been a weird season, where God has asked me to be quiet and listen. And I honestly haven’t heard much from Him yet, but I can trust He’s working.
We were so excited this spring when it warmed up early and the ground was ready to plant in April. That hasn’t happened since we moved here! We were eager to get our crops in and get to growing and serving.
We spent hours and hours hoeing, planting and marking our rows. Everything looked pretty good.
Then it started to rain. And rain. And rain.
From the beginning of May to now, mid July, we’ve had over 53 inches of rain. That’s almost four and a half feet of rain! It came in torrents. Three inches in an hour. Seven inches in an evening. Five inches in a weekend.
Early June
It’s hard to watch your garden sit underwater, all your time and effort literally being washed away. After every flooding, we’d replant, sure this time it would grow. It couldn’t possibly keep raining, could it?
Yes it could. And it has.
Last week we finally made the difficult decision to shut down our CSA for the summer. We just have nothing to give out. Even the lettuce that was looking good quit growing and just started wilting away. The leaves on all the plants are turning yellow. Tomato and pepper plants are still the same height as when we planted them.
Then yesterday, as if to confirm our decision, our property got hit with hail and over 3″ of rain. Any plant that was desperately struggling to survive, was shredded AND flooded.
Dying, wilting plants early July
I don’t know if I’ve ever asked God more often “What are you doing?” than I have this summer. I still have no idea.
I’ve stood in the garden and cried. I’ve stood there and yelled at God. I’ve walked out there in silence just wondering.
The Lord has told me this week repeatedly to be obedient to Him. He keeps reminding me, I don’t need to know the end result, I just need to know He is good. He loves me. He knows the result He is working out. He is still on His throne.
This morning in church we learned about the parable of the sower and the four soils. One thing the pastor pointed out was that while this parable is about four different people, it’s also about the different seasons our heart can be in. When Jesus explains the seed that falls on rocky soil he says, “and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.”
The pastor had us all say, “when, not if”. When, not it. Tribulation and persecution will happen. The Bible tells us that numerous times.
Our response is what matters and is our responsibility. I can’t control all the rain. I can’t stop the flooding.
But I can control my response.
What should our response be in times of trouble, devastation, and sadness?
July 14th, 7th time flooding, with hail
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his;[a] we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100
We are to be thankful. Say thank you to our good good God, who loves us more than we could ask or imagine.
It might seem contrary to our nature. And it is. But we have to learn to fight against our nature everyday because it’s sinful. We’d rather complain and groan and say, but God, give me the answer now.
We can still say thank you for all God has done for us, for who he is, for his steadfast love and faithfulness.
So, though I have no idea what He’s doing or why, I will still say…
Thank you, God, for loving me well, for refining me in this trial, for walking beside me and guiding me, for cleansing my heart of selfishness, and for turning my eyes to you. Thank you for never leaving me nor forsaking me, thank you for dying on the cross for me, and defeating death to give me a place in heaven. Thank you for providing for my every need, even in the midst of flooding and devastation.
Sometimes, try as you might, you just can’t control things. I don’t know about you, but I like control over situations in my life. I like to fix what’s not right, repair the broken.
Lately God has been reminding me that no matter how much I want to be in control and no matter how much I think I’m in control, I’m really not at all. I’m just telling myself a big lie!
We had the most beautiful winter and early spring. Usually in Minnesota winter is harsh with below zero temps, blustery blizzards, and slick ice. But this past year was mild, at least in comparison. And spring came early which made me eager to get gardening. Our seedlings were doing well, I had the plots all laid out, and the ground was ready.
We spent hours planting, weeding, and tending. And then…
Then it started to rain. From the beginning of May until now, June 21st, we’ve had 40″ of rain! That’s almost 3 1/2 feet of rain! And it’s come in 3 and 4 and 7 inches at a time. Just this morning we had 3 more inches in 4 hours.
Needless to say, I’ve just stood and watched my garden go under. Every downpour it floods. Every rain storm more plants die. Only lettuce is thriving.
I want to fix it. I want to pump the water away somehow. I want to wish the rain away when I see it in the forecast.
As I feel panic rising with every new rainfall, I have to remind myself to breathe deeply and pray.
The first few floods, all I heard was raindrops splashing off every surface, thunder crashing, and running water trickling everywhere.
I don’t even know how many times our garden has been underwater now. Five, six, more?
Now in the midst of those devastating noises, I hear something else. Something better.
That still small voice that brings peace that surpasses understanding.
It’s often hard to hear in the rush of life when there are demands and noises all around us. Kids need something, another item is broken, people are causing chaos around us, the schedule is demanding we keep up, and on and on.
Do you ever stop to hear that still small voice? Do you hear Him calling you? I know I don’t listen for it at first. I have to be reminded somehow.
In the midst of this spring, He’s telling me to let go control, something I never had anyway.
Psalm 55:22 ESV Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
He’s asking me to let Him carry my anxiety because He loves me so much, He’s willing to do that.
1 Peter 5:7 ESV casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
He is speaking to me about how good, faithful and trustworthy He is, no matter what is happening around me.
Isaiah 26:4 ESV Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Psalm 46:1 ESV God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Jeremiah 16:19 ESV O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble
Psalm 91:1-2 ESV He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
As I watch the garden go under, I hear Him remind me I can still trust Him. He is still on His throne, unmoved by man or weather or disaster.
I can honestly say I am truly sad right now. It’s so hard to watch something you’ve worked so hard for get destroyed. But I can also say I have a good, good God who loves me and knows exactly what I need.
Seek Him, read His Word, hide it in your heart, and ask Him to show to He is faithful. Life will bring trials and hardships. But God won’t change. He’ll always be there with you, walking you through, and showing you how much He loves you.
We can still grieve. We can mourn and shed tears. It’s ok to feel the hard. It’s just not ok to sit there forever. Feel it and then remind yourself of God’s truth and let that fill those places that are filled with the hard.
I have a million things to do. Like, actually a million. No exaggeration.
Ok, maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration. A tiny one. But I really do have a very long list of unfinished projects and household chores to do. There’s laundry to wash, dry, and fold, there’s supper to figure out, and dust is collecting.
And outside? Ugh, don’t even get me started. Too late, I’ll start. Something is eating my rose bush so I should probably figure that out. There’s been massive flooding in our garden do its a disaster and many things need to be replanted. The plants may have died from the excessive rain, but the weeds loved it. So guess what’s thriving right now!
The barn is half cleaned, there’s a dozen downed trees that need to be cleaned up, and on and on the list goes.
Guess what I’m doing? I’ll give you a hint…it’s not anything on the list.
My kids asked if they can go in the pool just as I was going to get my grocery list together and get groceries.
All too often I say I’m busy or have something else going on. They probably expect that answer by now. I decided to embrace these summer days and say yes.
The joy on their faces was inexpressible! They ran to get swimsuits and towels and were trying to figure out the lock on the pool before I’d even gotten outside! And now, they are thoroughly enjoying themselves while I sit on the deck and soak up the sun.
I find even in these moments that I have a hard time decompressing and enjoying the moment. The to-do list still runs through my head, my breath still comes shallow, and the tension remains in my shoulders. I know there’s so many things that need to be done.
But, as I consciously tell myself to take deep breaths and relax my body I realize I am doing something of importance. Well, two things really.
I’m giving my kids the time to just have fun and slow down. But I’m also giving myself permission in the midst of busy to slow down and have fun too.
We live in a society that praises busyness and sees hurry as a status symbol. How often do we ask how are you to hear “I’m so busy.” We may even say it in a frustrating tone but we really use it as a badge of honor.
As mamas, we really do have an endless list of to-dos and must-get-dones. Kids always need something. The house needs tending. Supper needs to get made. And they are all good things.
But don’t forget to put rest and fun on your to-do list as well. Remember your kids are little once…just once. Tomorrow they will be older, a year from now they may not want to snuggle on the couch with a book or have you watch them in the pool.
The projects and chores will always be there. Things will always need repair or tidying.
Your kids will grow up and go on adventures of their own. And guess what? It’s amazing to see (more on that next time).
Savor now. Enjoy their smiles and splashes and potions, and tree climbing. Laugh with them. Walk at their pace. Say yes to “lifeguarding”.
This is always such a bittersweet day for me, as I know it is for many. While my mom is rejoicing in heaven, I don’t take for granted that I enjoyed a wonderful relationship with her while she was on earth. She was my dearest friend and I know my sister would say the same of her. We could talk to her about anything without fearing anger or judgment. She had a great sense of humor, an awesome accent, loved coffee and a good chat!
The list could go on and on. She was truly an amazing woman.
I count it as no coincidence that as Mother’s Day approached I was required to read Proverbs 31:10-31 for a study I’m doing with the young people I mentor and tutor. God works like that, you know.
As I read and studied this passage I remember a sermon I heard preached on it. The pastor taught that the Proverbs 31 woman was a myth and unattainable. He said that it was likely a parent telling their son, “An excellent wife who can find?” with dripping sarcasm. He shared how the rest of the passage went on to detail all the things the parent was saying he could hope and wish for but never actually find.
You know what? I think he was completely wrong.
I’ve seen this woman. I watched her as I grew up. She rose early and provided for her household with wisdom. She dressed herself in strength and confidence everyday, even as she faced deep hardships. She dealt with living thousands of miles across an ocean from all her family, she persevered as a young adult through learning a new language, how to drive in a new country, and school with toddlers so she could provide a better life for her family. Even after she got us through toddlerhood and started working, it wasn’t all peaches and roses. She was married to an alcoholic and that reared its ugly head time and again. And long before her time, she faced cancer with grace, dignity, and a strength that was superhuman.
The Proverbs 31 woman exists. I’ve witnessed it.
Was she perfect? Of course not. As surely as my mom was imperfect, the Proverbs 31 woman was imperfect too. But she persevered and endured. Her strength was not temporary or fleeting. She remained steadfast in the Lord’s love, faithfulness, and strength.
Recently it was said of us, “I guess I can see what the Schwabs are trying to do.” I’m not totally sure what was meant by this and could take it two ways. One, they perceive us as working to engrave our names in lights, make a name for ourselves, and have others look up to us. The other, that they know the words of Proverbs and see we’re trying to live by them.
Certainly, I don’t need my name in lights. In fact, when people point me out in a crowd and make a big deal of the fact that we have 12 children, I am just embarrassed. I’d rather be in the back, quietly working on what God has called me to. I don’t care what others think; I do care what He thinks.
I want to be that Proverbs 31 woman. I want to be that woman my husband can wholly and fully trust with our home. I desire to take care of my family and make profits for their wellbeing and care, not my own. Hopefully wisdom and kindness come from my mouth when I speak because I’ve spent time with the Lord.
My goal is for my husband and children to rise up and call me blessed and to hear from the Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant” as I know my mom heard when her fight here on earth was over and she stood before her Savior. My sister and I, 22 years after her death, still rise up and call our mom blessed.
She was the Proverbs 31 woman I still try to model after.
Spring is sprung, The grass is riz, I wonder where The flowers is
That little poem is on a beautiful handmade mug a dear friend gave me. My kids have memorized it and say it often with a smile.
Spring has in fact sprung. And so have the projects around the farm. There is a never ending list of things to be repaired, changed, built, painted, planted, and on and on.
Someone told us once that we wouldn’t feel settled for at least five years. Well, it’s been 8 and we are still drowning in things to do. But we love it.
I started wondering recently while painting our chicken coop, why do we make lists of things on our property to fix up or change or make better. The answer came to me as I’ve been studying Genesis and Revelation.
Siding the coop last summer.
Where did God put Adam and Eve? In a beautiful, perfect garden, of course. We all know that answer. Think about it though. They were in the most perfect setting where God dwelt with them. Everything they looked at, every tree, every flower, every animal was beautiful and breath-taking. There was perfection all around them. And when they sinned and were forced to leave that beauty, they spent the rest of their lives striving to make their new home as beautiful and perfect as Eden.
And ever since then, we’ve all toiled and striven to return the earth to its former glory. There is, deep within each of us, a longing for beauty.
I think that’s part of why so many have turned to homesteading, gardening, having animals, and working on their land. We all want to be in that beautiful, perfect garden again. And someday, we will be. Revelation tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. We don’t know exactly what it all will look like. John tells us about the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and there is a tree that bears 12 fruits, one for each month. I’m sure there will be amazing gardens with unbelievable plants and animals. The new Jerusalem sounds awesome, like nothing any of us could create. There will once again be beauty all around us.
For now, God has given us this little patch of dirt on a windy prairie to make beautiful. He tells us in Luke 19 to occupy until his return. We should be good stewards with what he’s given us, using our money, time, land, and resources wisely and to his glory. I thought while I was painting, does it really matter that the chicken coop had tan siding? It was free but high quality siding so we put it to good use. But, I really enjoy looking at things that are beautiful and that coordinate. So, yes, it does matter. The chicken coop and the shed on our property are now white with blue siding, opposite of our house. And it truly looks lovely when you come in the driveway and see it all together.
Proverbs 21:25 states, “The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.”
We are not called to be idle or lazy.
So, we are called to work. And we have an innate desire to make things beautiful and lovely.
And so, we make the to-do lists and we schedule the projects for sunny and rainy days. We prioritize what needs to get done and we switch gears and repair what’s broken. And, we’ll do it until the Lord calls us home or creates that new earth for us.
“Oh good, we’re just so busy.” “We’re in a busy season.” “Life just keeps rolling along all too quickly.”
Familiar conversation? It seems no matter who you ask, you get a response about how busy someone is. It may sound a little different but it seems there’s a common theme.
Why are we all so busy? What are we filling our time with? And is it worthwhile?
I think all too often we fill our time with work, activities, errands, and entertainment because it’s what everyone else is doing. Keep up with the Jones’, right? Our kid’s friends are doing gymnastics, we better put our kids in. The neighbor just got a new car, we’d better put in more hours and get one too. Our friends just moved to the country, we’d better start looking for property too.
We may not put it into words, or even conscious thought, but we’re comparing all too often. Comparison steals our contentment and joy every time and yet we do it. And it’s frequently a bad habit we don’t even realize.
Also, we make ourselves busy because it makes us feel important. We believe we have to be doing something in order to be worth something. If I fill my schedule and try to keep all the plates spinning and show success in all these areas, then I’m worthy. Then when someone asks “What’s new?” I have a list to share.
At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of a year, do we really feel successful, fulfilled, satisfied with all our busyness, running, and frantic pacing? Or is it more likely that we feel defeated because we didn’t quite achieve enough, discouraged because someone else did it better, and exhausted because we aren’t actually supposed to do, but be?
Did you just take a deep inhale right there? Can you relate?
I know I can.
I’ve been convicted about Sabbath for a long time now. Like, a really long time. We’ve clumsily attempted taking a Sabbath here and there only to have it overshadowed by the to-do list.
Recently I’ve been reading Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson. If you haven’t, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy of this book and take your time with each chapter. In her chapter Rest, she says, “Sabbath rest is a tithe of time…” and “…rest is not a suggestion. It is a command.”
Those hit me hard. I have seen God multiply our finances innumerable times over the years, so much so that I couldn’t even begin to add up the amount He’s blessed us with, simply because we’ve been obedient. We’ve learned to tithe our finances no matter how tight the month appears because God always, and I mean Always, multiplies it and covers our needs and, often, covers our desires as well.
If I know that truth in my very depths, why would I assume He would do any differently when I tithe my time? I’ve learned there are amazing blessings in obedience so why should it be difficult to be obedient with giving my time to Him?
Maybe because I’m a slow learner, just like the Israelites as they wandered the desert. How many times did they have to relearn the lesson that God can be trusted? How many times must I learn that lesson?
I got to this point and thought, okay God, I’ll try to trust you with my time. But how do I actually make this work? How do I actually set aside time that looks different? It’s supposed to be holy, set apart. What does that look like?
It’s obviously going to look different in every family, but for me a few things really helped me bring this down to the practical.
First, get everyone on board. The whole family has to understand the Sabbath and be willing to rest and make it look different. In our home, we sat down and actually created a Sabbath list. I asked the kids, “if you could do anything you wanted on a family day, what would it be?”
The list is great! There are fun farm projects, hiking and day trips, playing board games, going out for ice cream. My kids were so astute to even add worship God with music, read His Word, and pray. I’m sure it will change and be added to as we go, but I’m excited we can actually start to do those family things we always talk about doing.
Second, prepare for the Sabbath during the week. A couple close friends and I were talking about how to do this and we came up with a few things. Get the house chores, errands, grocery shopping, and other projects done on other days during the week. This might sound obvious, but it really requires a mind shift. If I need to get the laundry and other house chores done on other days, then those days need to be open enough to allow for that. Which means I need to say no to extras so I’m actually home to do those things. Which means I need to look at my calendar and see the open spaces as opportunities to prepare for the Sabbath, not as spots to be filled.
We also have to trust. We can’t take one the mindset that I just have to work harder and faster and get more done on those other days so I can rest. I need to trust that God will multiply my time just as He multiplies my finances. I can’t look at my to-do list and think, well great, now I’ll really never get this all done. I need to look at that list and say, God, I trust you to get done what needs to get done, and to remove from the list what isn’t important right now.
Third, I believe we need to go into Sabbath willingly and cheerfully. “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7.
God wants us to want to give, so that He in turn can show us how much He can give. He loves and desires to bless us, I’ve seen this from experience. We can actually trust Him.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7
We aren’t perfect at this, in fact, I’d say we’re newbies, just trying to figure it out. We’ll probably stumble and be clumsy along the way. But, prayerfully and hopefully, with God’s help, we’ll start to honor Him with our time.
Desired Haven Farm 