Anticipating Sabbath

It's still raining here--I just love it! We've had a wonderful indoor day. Breakfast all together, followed by the me and the girls hanging out in the basement being crafty and sewing.

But I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's Sabbath.

We've been gone the past two Sundays on vacation, and I'm excited to go to church tomorrow and do our Sabbath routine.

For me, the idea of Sabbath and service are closely linked. And as I've thought about what we could do to serve as a family, one of the things that has come up is our Compassion children. We have four Compassion daughters--two for each girl, sharing birthday months and years with Audrey and Emma. 

I must confess that we've been terrible about writing to them.

So as I've thought about new ways we could serve, God kept bringing our girls to mind. That we have children to serve--and we could serve them much better than we do. It's not time to add something new until we're doing what we're already doing well.

So on Sundays, we come home and have Sunday dinner, then we sit down and write to our girls--one each week, so they each receive a letter each month. We've been in the routine since school got out and it's working really well.

We read any updates from the girl whose week it is, write a letter together, and Audrey and Emma usually draw pictures and write little notes. We dig through the sticker drawer and look for fun things to send along with the letters. Audrey and Emma love it. 

And while we pray for Lucia and Denys, for Gita and Josiane at bedtime most nights, I'd like to start praying more specifically for them as a family on Sunday afternoons.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry 

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--

when you see the naked, to clothe him,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say:

Here am I...

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

and from doing as you please on my holy day,

if you call the Sabbath a delight

and the LORD's holy day honorable, 

and if you honor it by not going your own way

and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

then you will find your joy in the LORD,

and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."

The mouth of the LORD has spoken.

(from Isaiah 58)

Comments

[Melissa @ Breath of Life]

Love this Scripture. It's yet another reminder that I'm to head to Isaiah after I finish John.

I love Sundays. Since implementing changes in our home to make Sunday a day of worship and rest, I find I look forward to Sunday all week. I see it truly is God's gift to us.

[Shane]

Thank you for the reminder of tending to our current ministries. My husband and I have been blessed to god-parents to MANY. But we are failing miserably in caring for their spiritual needs. Your post today is reminding me to get writing and praying (they are all over the country... only one in our area).

[Gretchen]

"It's not time to add something new until we're doing what we're already doing well."

Excellent point. Time to reassess what we're doing and see what it is that we do well and what we can let go/add. Not just for Sabbath, but for every day. The beginning of the school year always brings this mentality in me--yet, I don't always follow thru.

[Trish]

Thanks for sharing. We have two Compassion children and I have been terrible about writing to them also. By setting aside a certain time would be a great way to make sure they receive letters. I appreciate your wisdom on this topic!

[Marla Taviano]

This post was just what I needed today!! Thank you! We'll be setting aside time to write to Dorcus and Maria.

And I LOVE that passage from Isaiah 58.

Love you, friend!

[Angie]

I felt convicted reading this. We're just awful about writing to our Compassion son in Haiti, Pierre. I think his time is almost "up" with Compassion, so now I feel inspired to make the most of what we have left with him. Thanks!