heartbeat.

Yesterday was a beautiful day.

I spent the majority of it outside on a blanket with friends, throwing a frisbee, playing guitar, singing, and, most importantly, resting. It was all very collegiate... postcard material even.

Yesterday was a good day.

I'll say it again, harkening back to a blog I wrote quite some time ago... Sometimes it seems like the sunshine makes it a little easier to be a Christian. It makes it just a little easier to know that God is so happy to see me here. Just a little easier to know that He loves me more than I'll ever understand.

Just a little easier to slow the pace of my heartbeat to align with that of my Father's.

So, in this day yesterday, I had the conviction that it was to be a Sabbath.

I've never actively pursued Sabbath, as a matter of fact, I've never intentionally practiced a day of rest.

"Now hold on Jesse..." You might say, and for good reason... I have been known to sleep the day away a time or two, or just sit around and do as little as possible. This was especially true of my weekends in high school. No commitments, man, those were the days... but I'm starting to realize how many opportunities I've missed in those free days to commune with my Father.

I didn't want yesterday to be the same.

Scripture leaves no question about the importance of Sabbath for the people of God, and it could be argued that it is one of the least practiced methods of communing with God today. 

What I'm saying is, many people pray, read Scripture, partake in communion, or sing praise to God... but many of us typically neglect Sabbath, one of the longest standing, central practices of our ancient faith... 

Why?

God granted this sacrament as a time which we can dedicate to Him through our peacefulness.  This day allows us to dedicate our mind and our spirits to God, while recharging our soul in order to better dedicate it to His purposes. This day sets us apart from the world, indicates our holiness before our Father. 

So why do we deem ourselves too busy to take it on as a weekly communion with God?

I will say this, it was hard yesterday to avoid thoughts that I had things I needed to be doing, I actually even spent a couple hours practicing for Sanctuary because I'll be leading it for my first time this week, so I don't even know if I did all that great of a job at keeping my Sabbath, but the point is this... There were hours yesterday in which my mind was elsewhere...

I was even accused of seeming "deep in thought." I thought that was somewhat funny because that statement almost carries a negative connotation. I may have been deep in thought at certain times, but if I was, there was Joy, there was Peace. 

My heartbeat was meeting the pace of my Father's. 

I hope I find Sabbath again next week. I'm sure through the course of this week my heartbeat will race, pressures will rise, and stress will usurp the reign of Peace in my life. I will need a moment to swim to the surface, to gasp for air, to breathe again.

However, I would like to find that this practice of Sabbath, if taken regularly, will strengthen the hold of Peace over my life, through the weekdays and through the stresses of the day-to-day so that my heartbeat may keep in time with the rhythm of Grace, Peace, and Love.

Peace,

Thank you for your Sabbath, for the rest it brings, for the light it shines on my heart so that I may see its imperfections and feel your desire to have it transform to your will. Give me the strength and the courage to submit to that will, Father, so that I may come to Life through your Love for me. You have given me so much, I have so little to offer you, Father. Take my life, and make it yours.

Amen.