Take the Day Off

I like to imagine Sunday mornings long ago when folks sat out of their front porches as neighbors and friends strolled by opening to the delights of a day off - the Sabbath- the day reserved for just the joy of living. Heading to town for a soda or newspaper or perhaps to throw a fishing line off the wharf. The smiles, the waves -the how do you dos? - rocking with a favorite book on your lap or maybe a song or two filling the morning sunshine with music.

But now front porches most often sit empty and we have frequently cluttered our Sundays with something other than church and rest and renewal. Racing to get the grocery shopping done, mow the lawn, pay the bills and tend to all the things we couldn’t fit in during the week and making the seventh day-whichever one that is in your week-just like all the others.

Growing up it seemed as if the world held its breath on Sunday mornings. All of the stores were closed, church parking lots were full and families spent the day enjoying life together. My father often took us all to the park on Sunday mornings. There was a palpable sense that this was a day was different from the rest.

The rhythm of our lives is encouraged to set a day aside to be unlike all of the other days-where we bask in the glow and the joy of life-where we take in the glory of the world around us and find peace. To rest, to sing, to dance, to play.

I once read an article about ancient life in Egypt which was comprised of making bricks for the Pharaoh every day, all day. Bricks and bricks and bricks, then eat and sleep until the next day of more bricks and bricks and bricks. Tomorrow was just like the day before-more bricks and bricks and bricks. But along came the command that one day of the week would be unlike all of the others-this day would be a day of rest, a Sabbath-a day without bricks. Life took on a new rhythm-no longer would every single day be the same- endlessly making bricks- now there would be six days of brick making and the seventh day of rest. Instead of seven, seven, seven-365-it became six and one, six and one, six and one. This created a new rhythm in people’s lives.

We need rhythm in our lives—it’s what makes one moment different from another. It gives contour and color, form and variation to all of life. We all have different work schedules and many rely on that seventh day of work-or that day to catch up-but how nice life would be if each of us found that day to rest in our lives – that day to sit on the front porch sipping lemonade – that day to bring a picnic to the beach- that day to lay in front of the fan and read a favorite book, that day to enjoy the company of friends and family over a cup of tea and a scone. A day to rest and just to be exactly who you are, doing what you love?

I think that ancient command came down to remind us to enjoy our lives- to remind us that we’re human beings not just human doings. To stop and breathe and know that life is to be enjoyed. Though it is reported that this command came down from the mountaintop, it too can be a secular command-to all people no matter your beliefs or your schedule. To find one day each week to set aside to celebrate life by simply enjoying it. Put away the bricks for just one day each week- and maybe, just maybe, we can see our lives and our front porches fill once more with the simple joy of living.

A rarely if ever heard original encouraging us to enjoy the day!