family week: rest time

I know a lot of families, and I read about a lot of families through blogs. But there is one in particular that stood out when I began to think about Family Week, and I am soooo pleased that Annalea Hart was willing to represent her lovely household and share something to insightful with all of us. Welcome, friend!

After almost 11 years of marriage and 6 years of parenthood, the Hart Clan has finally figured out something crucial to our survival. It doesn't involve more frequent and higher quality family nights and we have not discovered the secret to more peaceful mealtimes. In fact, we are not doing anything. Instead we are doing less.

Our family chooses to set aside one day each week to rest.

This is not an original concept. You might be familiar with the idea of observing the Sabbath. Work 6 days. Rest 1 day. And repeat. Taking weekly time off from the to-dos and choosing to let the world go on without our contribution for 24 hours.

Our family was not always faithful about seeking rest.
We would too often let busyness steal from us. e were neglectful of making rest a priority. It was easy to get sucked into the many good things around us. But this kept us from experiencing the greatness available. The result was an off-balance life that left us tired and dissatisfied.

Our family needs a weekly rhythm.

This one day gives us that rhythm. By allowing a day of rest, the other six are more fruitful. There is more energy. We seem to work harder knowing that we have reserved the time to rest. There is more creativity. Leisure time is not taken for granted. There is more peace. Our minds are refreshed after the weekly break. There is more love. Relationships are cultivated and emotional needs are met.

Our family is learning to define rest.

Rest can look different. We believe it is important to focus on God. We worship Him through music and reading the Bible. The littles play instruments and act out stories.

That focus also includes God given pleasures. We cook brunch together. We feed souls as well as bellies. We get outdoors on a trail or in the garden. We read, dance, pray, build, sew, play, and nap. We choose to unplug from the world on our days of rest, which means no computer or television. We attend an evening worship service with our church family. We enjoy who we are
and what we have.

But let's not lose sight of the why. We don't spend a day of rest because we are tired. We keep the Sabbath because it is an opportunity, to stop and admire what God has made. It is a gift to enjoy who we are and what we have.

Our rested family is not just surviving, but thriving.

Thank you, Dear Hart! As a single person, and as a part of a family, I know that I need to work at resting. (Have I already defeated myself?!)

Be sure to visit Annalea and her family via her lovely blog!