Sabbath

I love the Jewish concept of Sabbath. The Baptist one I grew up with was activity-filled with Sunday School, Sunday morning worship, a big meal with kitchen cleanup afterward, then back to church for a Sunday night service.

I think the Jews are closer to viewing it as a gift for rest and enrichment. Not only are we commanded to recharge....we have to do it every seven days.

This week I am on vacation. Each year, I take the week of Labor Day as a personal holiday to live my life as a writer. Most years, I've worked on whatever novel I was crafting at the time. This year, I'm engaging in the serious work of developing a book proposal.

I know that doesn't sound like rest, but for me, spending large blocks of time in a creative project I've wanted to get to forever, is the most beautiful kind of rest there is.