I’ve had to let go of perfection, of completion, of checking everything off a list, in order to become a Sabbath-keeper. Maybe the laundry’s not all washed or that last bit of homework completed, or every single phone call made or email sent. I have to accept that I am incapable of doing everything by myself, in my own strength, that I need to step out of the equation and allow God to refill me.

By nature, I am a rule-follower, list-maker, task-finisher… and Sabbath is the total opposite of all of that. It’s a time to stop doing and experience simply being. My worth ceases to revolve around what I’ve gotten done and shifts to who I really am, who (and Whose) I was made to be. This paradox of finding strength through rest both grates against and soothes my inner self! It’s mysterious and doesn’t always make sense, but regular Sabbath-keeping is completely invaluable to me in my battle against a performance-based mindset.