Morning gales blow a furious fit, daring me to turn around and walk back home. I decide it’s better to be brave than boring. And I won’t be bullied. I’ve memorized the view out my window a hundred times.

The surprise of sun overshadows my self-doubt. The kind of doubt born in a mother the day her child takes his first breath.

My son woke up with a sore throat and I let him stay home from school out of fear. We’re travelling next week. I wrote the end of the story before turning the first page. He was fine an hour after the first bell rang.

And I think that this is sometimes how we approach Sabbath. Afraid to take the time to rest for fear of what might happen about all those things we won’t get done.

I turn the knob on the door after my walk, and realize I’ve locked myself outside. Tap on the window and my son comes to the door, lets me back inside.

God redeems my self-doubt, the same way he redeems my time.

Harrison and I, we won’t remember it, the way he missed school for nothing. The same way we won’t remember what we did on the Sabbath this week a year from now.

Because my life and yours, it’s not defined by failure on Friday or success on Sunday. Let’s not trip over today and miss the meaning of a lifetime. Sometimes the view is much better from the other side. We just have to be brave enough to walk outside.

Have you heard about the Surrendering to Sabbath Society? It all started here. You can find out more by clicking the Sabbath Society tab. Want to join? Email me: shelly@redemptionsbeauty.com.

For more Sabbath reading from the sisterhood this week, here are some links worth the click:

Surrendering to Sabbath, slowly (a series about growth) from Chelle Wilson: Because sometimes you have to “Surrender to Sabbath by eating the elephant one bit at a time.”

Low Tide at A Work of Art: Helen shares photos of her Sabbath walk and the exquisite beauty she finds. This has stayed with me all week.

Appreciate the Blessings of Right Now by Michelle DeRusha: Because sometimes we just have to stop long enough to see.

And you know that book by Mark Buchanan I’ve been quoting? The Rest of God. Yeah, I would love to do this.

And because sometimes you just need to laugh until your mascara runs: I Tried on Spanx and Almost Called 911

Happy Sabbath Everyone!