A Chance To Be Superwoman
“Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’” Mark 2:27-28
(sorry men, this one’s for the girls)
I was in a predicament last week.
The due date arrived to return a library book, but I hadn’t finished it.
I had a decision to make.
Do I return on time and forgo the end? Do I keep it as an over-due, and pay? Or do I sit and finish it?
That would mean I’d have to stop for the day and just sit and read.
Unthinkable!!
For me, to sit down in the middle of the day and read a book is unheard of! Nighttime reading is the go-to, but squander away daylight hours to simply read? Yikes.
I really battled with this.
But I gave in.
I put aside the to-do list and read the rest of the book.
It was indulgent. It was like eating dessert solely for dinner. It was like pouring the entire tub of bath salts in the water for only one bath. It felt great. It worked. And I returned the book on time.
Photo: Renae Bowman (thanks HB!)
But then another reading popped up.
The required chapter for my women’s Bible study.
And guess what the chapter was about?
The discipline of Sabbath.
No, not about going to “church” on Sunday, but the discipline of “rest.”
Sabbath.
A directive from God in ancient times and an act that Jesus himself did.
Rest.
To do nothing.
To do nothing—in Christ—to grow deeper.
A discipline worth exploring.
But an act that rouses up questions:
“Why can’t I slow down?”
“Why can’t I seem to put aside schedules to sit with Christ?”
“Why can’t I seem to sit and read a book in the daytime?”
And in a book I highly recommend, Abundant Simplicity, Jan Johnson suggests an answer,
“Ego and pride keep the pressure on.”
That one hit home.
And it became clear for my little dilemma.
If anyone walks through the door and I’m curled up with a book in the middle of the afternoon, they’ll see me as being,…well…lazy.
After all, the layer of dust on my furniture is there.
After all, the piles of laundry are building.
After all, a four-course meal needs to be made.
After all, …
After all, …
If I don’t get that “stuff” done and much, much, more, guess whose ego would take a hit? A big hit!
I wouldn’t be seen as perfect.
I wouldn’t be seen as the best homemaker.
I wouldn’t be seen as an achiever that can laugh at lists and chores while I whittle them away in record time.
I wouldn’t be seen as superwoman because superwoman DOES NOT sit on the couch!
But then again, maybe she does.
What if we busy women gave in to the idea of Sabbath?
We could be the pioneers of our time by teaching our society the ability to slow down, and at times to do nothing. We could be the gatekeepers of our family’s time-schedule, loosening it up a bit by putting away the hamster-wheel of to-dos.
Fifteen, twenty, thirty minutes—to sit in the nothingness of a day—without guilt!
Do we dare give this a try?
What if we single-handedly started returning our families to the simpler days that everyone wants so badly?
Who then would be called superwoman?
You bet your cape-crusader, it’d be—US!
Maybe it’s time for a pact?
Let’s put the judgment away of the “perfect” idea of house keeping?
Let’s not stand in awe of each other’s lists of the things we “have” to get done today?
Let’s challenge each other not in what we do, rather than in what we don’t do?
Let’s ask each other the all-important question, “did you get time to do nothing in your day today?”
What do you think? I’m in. How about you?
God commands us to Sabbath. Because when we do, we slow the stress. When we do, our ears and hearts are opened to him. When we do, He meets us in the quietness.
Photo: Renae Bowman
Let’s change our families. Let’s teach our children to not fill up every minute. Let’s be that example we are called to be.
I say we give it a try. You in?
And think about a close friend. Another stressed out child of God might be waiting for a message like this! Her day may change dramatically if you pass it on.
“One who moves too hurriedly misses the way.” Proverbs 19:2
(A big shout out to my Tuesday morning study group. You women rock! You gave me some great insight this week on habits I’m determined to change. Thank You!)
God provides for all our needs, like the Sabbath, that we might enjoy that sweet, quiet time, with Him, that He can bless us with the supernatural ability, to do what needs to be done, according to His will. The more time we spend with Him, and the more intimate we are, the more complete, our enablement, and the more we are in line with His priorities. The voice that says we must “keep up with the Jones”, and impress people, forsaking God, for these things, is a seducing spirit, who’s mission is to destroy our souls. This enemy says that OUR abilities are of utmost importance, trumping God’s commands, like the Sabbath, and that belief system is idolatry. We need to repent from worshiping ourselves, others, and the world’s priorities, more than we do God, and receive all that He has commanded, like rest, for our perfect peace, esteeming what He esteems, and aligned to do His will.
Thank you for this important reminder. Slowing down is not a concept that society embraces, but that’s true of many biblical principles. I NEEDED to hear this reminder. Thank you for encouraging me to follow God’s command to rest–now if I do it, it can be done without guilt.
I totally know what you’re talking about Renae. I’ve always been the “hurrier”. It’s like a contest with me. If you can’t do something more or faster than someone else, then you’ve failed. While life may be somewhat of a contest, sitting with the Lord isn’t. That’s what I need to keep focused on. If I do nothing else with my day, if I haven’t slowed down enough to spend time with Who is most important, THEN, I’ve failed Him AND myself. I so need the rest, and He sits there waiting for me to sit with Him. Big Blessings to you Renae!