Seeking Sabbath: 40 Days of Quarantine
The post you are reading started weeks ago. Then I completely changed it. It was originally a very funny story about me hiking around the base of a mountain on a women’s retreat I went on with my church (I will post that story at some point- be on the lookout). We were lost, for a quite a while, though we certainly knew where we were. The retreat was on the Sabbath, titled “Sacred Rest”. We spent the weekend eating delicious food, and bonding over the different stages of life we were in. How to make sure we followed the commandment of the Sabbath. We had sessions led by a wonderful minister who explained her ritual. She used this phrase “I stop, even though I am not finished.” Even now, I find myself saying it on a regular basis. Because ever since I was little I have been unable and unwilling to stop UNLESS I am finished. These are two very different things.
Stopping in spite of yourself is much more difficult. It is what propels mothers through long and late nights. We constantly add “just one more thing”, scooping up dirty laundry on the way to bed, putting Lego bricks somewhere no one will step on them. Just kidding, that place doesn’t really exist- you can pretty much step on a Lego anywhere.
When I look back at my notes from the retreat, they are about ways to more fully experience the Sabbath and what God has gifted us as part of our human experience. Time to be with our family more fully, to make our worship holier, to focus on each other instead of the pressing needs we have every other day. Finding joy in our own rest, and forgiving ourselves what is left undone. The overwhelming theme was “What are you saying no to? What are you saying yes to?”
My list was mundane. I thought I should try to get major cleaning done before the weekend, have snacks prepped, pack backpacks on Saturday instead of Sunday nights, change the sheets. My goals for Sunday were as follows: worship in the morning, say yes to playtime, spend more time in the garden, draw or write or knit, stop rushing, stay present, seek new family experiences. Truly think about the sacrifices of Lent.
My truth is that we spent a lot of time rushing in our non-quarantine life. A LOT. We wake up on Monday mornings, often before sunrise, to get children fed and off to school and parents to work. The day goes long- we rush from the end of school through to dinner time, and then bed time. Then it was time for chores, and maybe some Netflix, and then we would crash and do it all over again the next day.
I came back from the retreat well rested (two full nights of sleep), well exercised (hiking! Nature!), fed, and content to come back to my real life. How timely that only two weeks later I would begin to experience the very things I had written were my desire.
Corona virus was already a discussion. We were watching it come across the world, case by case. We knew that it was unlike any virus we had dealt with in our lifetime. As we watched it approach us, we started to have more lengthy discussions about what was necessary when going out. I was beginning to question if the children should be continuing to go to school when it finally came that they would not be going for a little while. Then it stretched a little further. We were officially quarantining during the coronavirus.
We are now at home every day. The activities that would normally take us out of the house have all been canceled and postponed or become virtual. Our children do zoom meetings with their classmates. We face time with our parents. We eat our meals together almost every night. And there are memes- so many memes about our last trips to Target and the Y and the mall. The memes I’m seeing these days are more related to what happens when you are quarantined with people, even the people you love. Those people you love so much you hide from them in the pantry and eat Oreos.
But there have been benefits. We are all sleeping a little more. We have more outside time during a beautiful spring. I’m growing a legitimate garden for the first time in my life (not just herbs in pots people!). I’ve been able to run most days. I unpacked the boxes that have been packed since I was approximately 10, based on the packing style I used and junk within the boxes- why am I like this when it comes to moving? We have reading time every day, love the Cincinnati zoo animal tours. We measure the plants and count the flowers blooming. There is also a variety of weeding, every day. We eat allllll the snacks. I actually like going to Costco now because I get to stand in a line six feet behind the person in front of me and read my book in peace for half an hour.
Gwyneth suggested using this time to learn a new language or write a book (I will get right on that after figuring out how to get any of my kids to use walking feet in the house and stop going to YouTube every time we open a laptop). I watched Saturday Night Live (completely Zoomed and amazing), and really connected with this sports report . Alex Moffat knows our daily life. And have there ever been so many cat and dog videos released?
But as we finish Day 40, I can only think of Lent. Each year we are asked to consider the sacrifices Jesus chose to make for us, and we are asked to give up something. Usually we give up something like bread, or meat or butter. People will “sacrifice” television or social media. I laughed when I looked up the top things to give up or do for Lent- suggestions were “don’t eat after dinner” and “try walking each day for exercise”. The authors had no idea what was coming. Instead of doing that, we have fasted from our regular lives. We are literally on hiatus from our normal daily rhythms. Which makes me wonder if this will help us decide which rhythms are the most important.
And this, my friends, is quarantining during the coronavirus. Below check out these yellow pansies that look exactly like something out of Alice in Wonderland. By the time this is over, I’ll probably be a master gardener.
