Tips for Resting on the Sabbath

Awhile back, I asked on Instagram what tips readers have to make Sabbath rest possible - especially if you are a parent to young children, a caregiver, or take care of farm animals. Here are a few tips!

Let those in your care rest by putting on a movie or music, and then use that time to rest yourself.

Enlist help from the entire household in getting ready for Sabbath. Go into the day of rest a little less exhausted by having your family chip in with preparations.

Do everything through the week, a little each day. Feel free to divide up the work of any necessary Sabbath preparations at your household in whatever way works best for you.

Batch cook and have something ready that just needs to be popped in the oven. Batch cooking is simply cooking a larger amount (say a double batch) when you are cooking other meals. Use the extra for the Sabbath or stick it in the freezer for a convenient meal down the road.

Stop preparing gluttonous meals with meat, chicken, six sides, and desserts. Things don't need to be elaborate! Simple food is less stress and just as tasty.

Feed the kids mostly raw fruits and veggies all day, then throw a frozen meal in the oven. You can't beat the easiness of raw produce, and it's so important for our health! I love the simplicity of this and the practical benefits.

We don't have a dishwasher so we use paper plates. Or be willing to turn a blind eye to the sink! I absolutely love this...the Sabbath does not require fine china, or a perfectly clean home. There's no shame in doing something easy or for not having a spotless house!

Bake extra bread and cookies and freeze to eat on later Sabbaths. Keep your freezer stocked with foods you can easily turn to on the Sabbath.

When needed, sign off of social media and turn off notifications. This is a great way to give yourself mental rest! No sense in having your rest interrupted all day long by silly or frustrating alerts and updates from your phone.

Give animals extra food and water to last them until Sunday.

Hang up a cabbage for chickens in the coop - keeps them busy and fed the next day!

Let things be messy. It's a day of rest, not having a perfect home.

Skip kid baths unless absolutely necessary. And if they're necessary in the summer, send them outside to the sprinkler or hose (if that's easier) and call it good enough.

Remember that you have nothing to accomplish! Just connect with YHWH and your family and enjoy time with them.

Related posts:
Sabbath Prep and the Idol of Cleanliness
How to Stop Working on the Sabbath
20 Tips to Simplify Shabbat Prep

Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Sabbath

Shabbat shalom is translated as a wish for a peaceful Sabbath day. How can you do that? While peace in general comes from repentance and living in YHWH's love and mercy (I love Colossians 3:15 to let the peace of YHWH rule our hearts!), and finding healing for our emotional hurts and baggage, today we are talking about a special kind of peace on the Sabbath. There is an art to resting on the Sabbath, and it requires us to do things a little differently than the rest of the week. While the world around us doesn't stop, we are commanded to take a holy pause in the busyness of life. Sometimes even when we have the day off it can be easy to get swept back into the rush of things. Here are five simple ways to avoid that and to have a more peaceful Sabbath day.

Five Ways to Have a More Peaceful Sabbath:

1. Leave the mail in the box. You know what is not restful? I'd say going through the mail, opening up bills, sorting out junk mail, getting notices that you need to schedule a dentist appointment, etc. Almost every time I open up the mail it gives me something to do. Let the mail stay in the box for an extra day so that this doesn't interfere with your Sabbath peace. The same goes for email.

2.  Switch off the wifi. I probably don't need to tell you that most people are addicted to their smart phone. Picking up the phone to check the time can all too easily lead into scrolling away the next twenty minutes (or more!) of the precious day of rest. And what does browsing social media add to your life or day? Possibly frustration with someone, probably comparison of yourself to others, and maybe a to-do list of cute projects. I think the Sabbath was intended to be more restful and joyful than what our phones can offer. Switching off the phone entirely might not be a reasonable option for you, but not having wifi on can be good incentive to stay off of your phone, and be present where you are. Some doctors believe that turning off the wifi can be more restful and healthful for your body as well.

3. Find a peaceful place. By no means does the house need to be perfect in order for you rest on the Sabbath, but if resting in the midst of a mess is hard, consider where you'll spend the day. That could mean making it a point to stay out of the messy kitchen, or hanging out in the seldom-used guestroom. Spend time on the patio or relax with a hot bath. If it's nice out you could spend the Sabbath day at the lake, a nearby playground, or a park.

4. Don't cook. While I normally have a solid plan in place for Sabbath lunch, can I just say that I haven't had a dinner plan for Saturday night ever? I try to cook enough throughout the week to have leftovers and I make it a point to stock easy snacks, as I shared in this post. And while it doesn't usually make for an Instagram worthy meal it works out just fine. We eat leftovers or something that takes five minutes or less to put together (like quesadillas or salad), and it's not a hassle. There's no need to spend your Sabbath in the kitchen or to overwork yourself beforehand with making an elaborate meal. Simple foods really work out.

5. Make a list. Snuggled up on the couch, I'm cozy under a blanket and have a cup of tea ready to enjoy. I have read three verses of Scripture and then I remember something to do. I find myself rereading the same passages as I'm distracted by thoughts like: I need to order a gift for the baby shower. I should make enchiladas for dinner this week. Oh yeah, I need to return that library book. Maybe you've been there, where you are kept from engaging in rest on the Sabbath because it's hard to switch off the to-do list. Keep a pen and paper nearby, and when one of those things comes up you can write it down and be done with it. I know this doesn't sound like it should work but it really does! Once you've written it down you know that you'll remember it, so your brain isn't focused on reminding you of what you need to do. Go back to your book now!

Other ideas for Sabbath rest:
Five Ways to Honor Shabbat
20 Tips to Simplify Shabbat Prep
Encouragement for the New Shabbat Keeper
Five Things I Love About the Sabbath