As we prepare to move into the month of May, there is a lot to consider. We have Mother’s Day, graduations, and Memorial Day to celebrate. Each of these have their own unique aspects for us to engage.
Mother’s Day is a day set aside for us to honor our mothers, both living and those who have passed on. For those whose mothers are still living, what an opportunity to let them know how much they mean to us. How the sacrifices and care given by them have not gone unnoticed, but we are grateful for their care and watchful eye. For those whose mothers have passed on, it can be a bittersweet day for us. We remember them with love and fondness, but it can often be a tearful remembrance. We remember all they have done for us, but we also remember the times we missed telling and showing them how much they meant to us and loved by us.
For those who are graduating from one level to the next, or completing their educational journey, we are proud of all they have achieved. We know they are starting on a new journey from this point, and our wishes are for them to soar as high and as far as their ambition will take them. Those of us who are witnesses to our graduate’s achievements, our hearts are full of pride for them, and we anxiously anticipate how their lives will enrich all of us.
When Memorial Day rolls around, we are reminded of the sacrifices made on our behalf by the women and men of our armed forces. They have literally given their lives for all of us. Let us never forget their sacrifice, but honor them in how we seek to serve each other.
So now, I’ve said all this to say, we are getting to that time when vacations are planned and taken. We need that time to get away, to refresh, to re-create ourselves anew. We should take this time away with the understanding it is holy time. It is sabbath time. It is time God has hallowed for each of us. We aren’t meant to be constantly moving, constantly doing, constantly anxious and constantly in a state where there is no down time. God intends for us to pull away and recharge ourselves. God knows it is necessary to us, just as air is to breathe. Its not simple rest, it is rest with intention. It is to free our bodies from work, and our mind from the stress we heap on it. God rested, and we are to rest. Jesus pulled away, and we are to pull away. Being a good steward extends to this sabbath time also.
I’ve intentionally lumped all the upcoming designated days when we celebrate and remember, with our upcoming sabbath time for a reason. Its a cycle of our lives. We move in and out of celebration and ordinary time. We move up and down in our moods, our mental states, and our engagement with others. How we celebrate, what we remember, who we honor, all of these moments are important in the balance of our lives. And sabbath time, is one of the threads that should run through all of it. We can’t let our busy-ness, our need to be engaged, intrude on the needs of our lives to do and be who we were created to be. We don’t skip out on celebrations. We don’t skip out on remembering and honoring. We don’t skip out on our sabbath.
Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees in the Gospel according to Mark about why his disciples were doing what was not lawful on the sabbath. In verse 27 Jesus says to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.” This reminds us of who made us, and who made the sabbath. It reminds us of the cycle and rhythm of life our Creator God has set into motion.
So go ahead, celebrate, honor, remember, re-create, knowing our God has given us all of this to make us healthy and whole.
Your companion on the Way,
Pastor Tom