Saturday, May 15, 2021

Writing Restored by the Sabbath


by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme

Sunday was a sacred day to my grandmother—a day where she would abstain from all manual labor. From her morning worship experience at church, she would reflect on her life and His purpose for her being. In the afternoon our family would gather at her modest home to enjoy a meal that she had laboriously prepared the day before and had only to warm in the oven for all to enjoy.

For my Nanny, concentrating solely on the Lord and His gift of family on that day was her lifeline. It was where the voices of the world became interrupted by the voice of God. It was where His divine orders became illuminated and truth revealed. Having been orphaned at age five, she learned early the importance of knowing His voice and direction, lessons that would ground her when she was widowed at a young age and left to care for her three children. 

Sundays at my grandmother’s house taught me the importance of setting aside a day to reflect on what is really important. School and petty differences were all set aside as we gathered after church in the sacred space of my grandmother’s home. Lest we forget what that day was about, she’d placed lovely framed scriptures and reminders in every room. One saying that had been cleverly placed on the dining room wall especially stayed with me and my brother and our cousins. One that we have taught our own children. “Only one life, it will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” As we followed scents of homemade buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, and cinnamon cake, that plaque on the wall would catch our eyes. It soon became tattooed in our minds, ready to blink like a neon light at the most opportune times.

It is out of the place of rest and relaxation that our bodies, souls, and spirits refresh and change course from the responsibilities of the world to the realm of the holy. A place where God meets our waiting heart and is able to whisper meaning into all the turmoil and busyness of the past six days. We reconnect. We contemplate. We abandon our will for God’s. We are restored once again from the kingdom of the world to the kingdom of God.

Resting on the Sabbath used to be an American tradition until states began allowing commerce to continue on Sunday. As more and more companies embraced the seven-day week, Americans easily became caught up in the constant busyness of our world. Sunday soon became a day to catch up on what we’d not had time to do in the past hectic six days. 

How does constant busyness affect the writer? 

Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Or, we might say, the writer writes. What we pour into our hearts is what flows out of our being and into our writing. The only way we can truly write from God’s heart is to know His heart. The only way to know His heart is to take time to meditate on His Word and the power of who He is and the individual purpose He has for each of us. By rejecting time spent in rest before the Lord, we risk losing our soul to worldly thinking. 

Being the best you can isn’t enough. We’ll never reach our potential by striving. Only by surrender to the God who formed us in our mother’s womb and whose love for His children is a creative force that can only be known by intimacy with Him. By resting in His presence, we enter the creative world of the spirit that is unknown to those who are living by the standards of the world. It’s a challenge in today’s world to set aside the Sabbath as a day of rest and meditation, but a choice that has untold blessings.

TWEETABLE

Emme Gannon is a wife, mother, and grandmother who loves to write stories that stir the heart. Her award-winning writing has appeared in Focus on the Family magazine, several anthologies, and numerous newsletters. She just completed her first novel.

21 comments:

  1. Emme, I remember (and long for) these days when almost everyone, even folks who didn't attend church, rested. Good post.

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    1. I'm grateful for those days. Sweet and blessed memories. Thank you for your comments.

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  2. "Thank You Lord for the wisdom of my sweet sister in Christ. Bless her writing, mentoring, and living." And thank you Ms. Emme. It's so good to remember those days when we set aside all to focus on God and family. It seems a lifetime ago doesn't it? In retirement, I've learned that every day feels like a "Saturday." One day soon, every day will feel like a "Sabbath." Although, we'll be busier than ever as we set about the Lord's work, we will celebrate, praise, and worship constantly. Won't that be something?! God's blessings gentle friend.

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    1. Your beautiful image of our future life with Jesus is a blessing, J.D. After writing this post, I have decided to bring that blessed Sunday of rest into my life. While busy habits are hard to lay to rest, I feel assured He will bless any effort made to have a special reflective and day where we rest and meditate on Him. Bless you and your writing.

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  3. A wonderful reminder in the midst of our business. Thanks so much, Emma!

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    1. Sorry about the spelling. Autocorrect is at it again!

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    2. Thank you so much for your comments, Marjorie. In these troubled times, it is only when we rest in Him that peace will flood our souls. Blessings to you.

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  4. Emme - "...where the voices of the world became interrupted by the voice of God." - is sooo good. It should be the the marketing slogan and the rally cry of The Church right now - regardless of denomination. Perhaps it could even unite the Bride of Christ?!

    Also putting your Nanny's dining room saying in my dining room asap.... ;)

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    1. My Nanny would be humbled that you share her words. They truly have been a beacon to my family, as was her example. It is my prayer that the voice of God be the filter through which we all interpret our lives. Blessings to you always.

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  5. I loved what you wrote, Emme! It brought back fond memories of my life when I was a child - going to church on Sunday, no servile work, dinners (at noon) with grandparents, no business places open, time for God. Your article is helpful and encouraging. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your memories, Diane. We are indeed blessed to have those lovely experiences for look back on. Blessings to you.

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  6. There’s something profoundly Christian and heartfelt about what you described. Honouring the Lord’s Day is an act of faith and reverence—a simple, yet powerful, confession of faith. But the part about our fleeting existence...well, that was truly exquisite: “For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners.” Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thank you so much for your comments, Benedict. Your words go to the heart of our desire to reverence the Lord in a way that our busy lives do not allow. That can change by the desire of our hearts, fueled by God's eternal love and His grace. Blessings to you.

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  7. This is just the message I needed today. Thank you. :-)

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  8. I join you, Melissa, in yielding more to the Sabbath and the blessings that will come. Thank you so much for your comments.

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  9. My husband and I haven't always observed the Sabbath as a day set apart, but when we came to the realization that the fourth commandment should be as revered as all the others, we changed our ways. We no longer work or write on the Sabbath. It's sometimes hard to give up our natural tendency to keep "doing", but we have found peace and tranquility in the rest.

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  10. What an inspiration you are, Kay. I have decided to also set aside the Sabbath as a day of rest and fellowship with the Lord. Thank you so much for your comments. Blessings to you.

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  11. Emme, your post reminds me of how my mother observed Sunday. We weren't allowed to do any kind of work on that day. We went to church, ate our fried chicken, and rested, napped and read the Sunday paper. I love what you said here, "The only way we can truly write from God’s heart is to know His heart. The only way to know His heart is to take time to meditate on His Word and the power of who He is and the individual purpose He has for each of us. By rejecting time spent in rest before the Lord, we risk losing our soul to worldly thinking."

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  12. Thank you, Emme, for giving us these much-needed words for our busy world.

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  13. I don't write anything on Sunday, not even for fun. I need break. And I need to make Sunday special.

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  14. This is such an important reminder to us "doers" that we should take the Sabbath rest seriously. It obeys God's commandment to rest and worship Him, and refreshes us...just as He knew it would! Thanks for the reminder in a busy season.

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