Day 4: Sunday, a day of rest

Despite my discussion yesterday of determination and the need to walk every day, I also think I need to balance my life with rest. Countless experts will advise resting your muscles. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I am sure I have read that when weight lifting you need to work a different muscle group every day so as not to stress the muscles. I know when I worked out with Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred video she recommended the following schedule: Mon. Workout; Tues. Workout; Wed. rest (or light workout like walking); Thurs. Workout; Fri. Workout; Sat. Workout; Sun. rest. The video even showed you how you could switch rest days, but keep the basic pattern of workout and rest.

Resting on Sunday, for me, is less about muscle break and more about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. Now, I do not profess to be an expert on this subject or even to do it perfectly.  I am human and to be human is to err (a sloppy paraphrase).

I was raised that you do not work on Sunday. Genesis and the creation of the world shows that God rested on the 7^th day and, therefore, as His children we should follow His example and rest as well.

How we rest is an interesting subject. Some believe that no work means that we do not work and we do not cause others to work. As someone who has had to work on Sundays, I strive not to cause anyone else to work on Sundays either. But I am a mom and work comes with the territory. So, I personally, do not cook on Sundays and happily use paper plates to cut down on dishes. Cooking and housework is my work and for me to get a day of rest than I need to “ignore” that aspect of my motherly duties.

Others take the subject of rest and the Sabbath day to mean no television, no electronics, only uplifting music, not playing outside.  I don’t like to focus on don’ts, but dos (Hmmm, that doesn’t look right, but hopefully you understand what I am saying!)

I see Sunday as a day to rest from my everyday life and spend it with those that I love. Do I watch T.V. and use electronics? Yes, but it is done as a family. Do I play outside? No, because I feel that the children and I have enough time during the week to partake in that activity. Then why allow T.V. and electronics? Simple, I don’t allow those items during the week, only on the weekend.

Perhaps I am playing semantics and justifying behavior, but I feel that the overriding principle is to rest from our every day labors. As I apply that, and ensure family is central to the decisions, than I can be true to what I believe.

If you think about it…God never said Sunday was the Sabbath. He said to rest the seventh day, call it Sabbath and keep it holy. There are many religions that feel Saturday is the seventh day and the Sabbath. And for those individuals that choose to be in service jobs – like nurses and firefighters, perhaps their seventh day is something different. I believe God sees the intent of our heart, not a day on the calendar.

Which leads me back to walking on Sunday; Sunday is my seventh day and my Sabbath. Walking is now a part of my every day…may labor if you will. I will rest from walking on Sunday and have faith that it will benefit me more in the long run.