We plan, we prepare, we schedule in advance, sports activities, festivals, get togethers, vacations, you name it – we plan it. Why is it that when it comes to the most essential and crucial thing that us humans need (which is rest), we don’t plan, schedule or make room for? It is a lie and myth that when you are a mother, you cannot find rest. While yes, you may not be physically rested, due to getting up in the middle of the night, being interrupted during tasks etc. there are so many ways you can rest, outside from physical rest. Believe it or not, as a mother of 4 I am the most rested I have ever been!
I am going to walk you through a 7-day rhythm I have followed in my home for the last several years and share how I find rest and schedule it starting from Sunday all the way until Saturday, which is my Sabbath. As you read, sister, please know, what I do for rest should not be your standard of rest. My household probably looks very different from yours! We are all different people, with different children, and with different things going on!
SABBATH
Our Sabbath is one of the most beautiful days of the week to me. I am not glorifying one day of the week but it is a day we try to make holy.
‘ “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. ‘
Exodus 20:8-11
What it looks like
We take our Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and there are a few ways we seek to make it holy. We do not do work, we are not on our phones, and we do not do any chores (laundry, dishes etc.). This has taken a while to get accustomed too, especially with chores, as I was in such a routine of getting everything done. So, I had to be intentional about actively scheduling my time of rest and reminding myself “this is not a day for that”. There is something so humbling about the Sabbath. I am reminded in Mark 2:27 ‘And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ‘ . I continuously have to ask the Lord to humble me, to remind me, that things will continue without me. We can be so egotistical and think “ this won’t get done” or “that won’t happen ”, but the world will continue to move on whether the laundry gets done or not. For us, going out to breakfast, being with family and friends, is another way we try to find rest from the home. On our Sabbaths, we rest with our children. I really want to urge mothers to not feel they need a rest from their children because they are such a gift and blessing. I can guarantee there are things that are exhausting you, that are outside of your children! I take rest from planning arts crafts as well as activities for my kids. I love doing it but it takes up so much mental space in my mind. Maybe you need rest from training and disciplining your kids because you are with them day in and day out. This could be a conversation with your spouse – “honey, I feel like I am the one who is frequently doing this. Maybe on the weekend, it could be a bit heavier on you so I can take a break”. Sit and ask the Lord where you need rest.
How we prepare
Practically speaking, to help ensure that I prepare for the Sabbath and make it holy, on Friday I use that as my preparation day. I do a couple more loads of laundry and if that doesn’t end up happening, I will just collect it all and throw it into the machine but wait until Sunday to let it run. On Friday, I also run the dishwasher during the day (compared to at night) so come Saturday, the dishwasher is empty and we just just put our dishes in there. However, on Saturdays we do try to use paper plates but most of the time, we forget. So, once we are done eating, everything just goes right into the sink, if the dishwasher didn’t get unloaded the day before!
Sunday after Sabbath
Sunday feels like an extension of our Sabbath because there are certain things we are still taking rest from (working and being on our phones), but then there are other things we are doing in preparation to help the week feel more restful. One thing I try to be mindful of is moving slower and not letting a clock dictate my time. We try to be event oriented rather than time oriented. Being in the House of the Lord is one way I find that I can get spiritual rest. It is such a wonderful thing to fellowship, hear God’s word and sing praises unto the Lord with brothers and sisters! We usually get home from church around 1pm. So, from 1p-8p I am slowly catching up on chores, while also doing things that continue to bring me rest. Sometimes that will look like sitting down and reading or working on a study that am in. While other times it may look like playing piano, as this is something that I have loved learning. Ask yourself, “what are some things I am craving in a creative way?”. Maybe it’s writing, journaling, making bread, perhaps you’ve been wanting to make a recipe. Tap in and see where you are able to be active, while still in a restful state.
REST DURING THE WEEK
There was a period of time where I thought the Sabbath was just the best day ever because I was able to find rest there. However, I found myself just in a trap of waiting to get to Saturday (the weekend) but isn’t that just like the world? The world can’t wait for it to be the weekend or can’t wait to get to retirement and I don’t believe that is how we are called to live. As a mother, it IS so important to get rest. So, what I have done is scheduled in restful periods all throughout our week.
Currently, I have 2 kids who nap in the afternoon and during this time, my other children have quiet time. It has taken us years to get here but during quiet time, it is actually quiet. I think it is not just beneficial for mothers to rest during the day but for everyone in the home! I think using this time to sit and scroll on our phones is not the best use of our time or our rest. Maybe there is a book you can read ( here are some I would recommend). Perhaps there are things you or someone else needs prayer for! This could be a perfect time to get into God’s Word! Maybe you could doodle, work on a puzzle, knit – there are many things we could do during this time. For me, I personally will get into the Word again and get some work done. As much as I would love to read books a little more, work still feels very restful and purposeful for me.
‘Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”’ Matthew 11:28-30
Ask the Lord what you need rest from. If you are married, work with your spouse to be intentional about seeking rest. He will likely need rest from things that are different from you. Communicate to one another what is important and the desires of your heart. Ask the Lord how you can find rest in him!
I pray this blesses you!
