Sabbath in 2025
Most of 2024 I’ve felt (and said), “if I can just get through the next xxx months, then I’ll be okay.” Well, now we have mere weeks left and I still don’t feel okay. I’m stressed. I feel on the verge of a breakdown. I don’t like how it’s affecting me, and I especially don’t like how it’s affecting my family.
I can’t (and don’t want to for the potential of gossip or complaining) get into it in too much detail, but I am tired. Not “I have a toddler and a baby tired,” though that’s true. It’s “I am overworked and stretched thin” kind of tired. I’m overwhelmed. (Read more about that here.)
Hear me out: a LOT of good things have happened this year. My most favorite being the birth of my second-born. We celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, seven years of marriage, I wrote my debut novel, rer-eleased my poetry collection, visited with family, and so much more. But it was still hard.
We have a lot of debt–a lot more than we want or imagined that we would have at this point. And because of that, I have to work. I do have the wonderful blessing of being able to work while being a SAHM; however, it often pulls me away from that job–the most important one. And I often react in sin toward my husband and children as an output of my near-constant stress.
And I hate it.
And as I reflect on my actions, the Spirit seems to remind me to rest–heck, even my husband reminds me to rest, often saying “Anna, just sit down.” And unfortunately my response is, “but I have too much to do” and “if we can just ___ then ___.”
But what if that never comes?
What if it . . . never comes?
That terrifies me. That stresses me out. That saddens me.
All of my hard work would be a waste.
And, again, the Spirit reminds me to rest. Not just physical rest, but to rest in him. My favorite verse is Psalm 46:10, which says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (ESV). I love it so much and daily need its reminder so much that I got it tattooed on my wrist.
But somehow, I still forget.
Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (ESV).
I am laboring. I am heavy laden.
I need rest.
This reminder led me to meditate on the word “sabbath” and how I know I need to, and I want to rest more in 2025. I want to prioritize my family and my home. Because raising my children, though it may not bring in a paycheck, it has eternal rewards–and it is far more valuable than any pay day.
So, what is the “sabbath”? It’s the Hebrew word for “rest.” And while this isn’t going to be an exegesis into the word, it’s important to understand some of the basics. Got Questions says, “Shabbat is the original Hebrew word for our English word sabbath. It comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav and means “to cease, to end, to rest’ ”.
To sabbath isn’t just pausing and sitting on the couch for an hour before getting back up to continue your task, it’s to cease it completely. And it’s my goal for 2025.
Now, let’s be reasonable for a moment. I can’t just cease doing my job because then I wouldn’t get the work done and I’d get fired. But what I can do is cease from letting it inhibit me from doing my job as a wife, mom, and homemaker. I can cease from letting it affect my mood and letting the stress and frustration retaliate on my family.
Sabbath in the new year will look like working hard when I’m alone so that I can be present when I’m not. It’ll look like waking up earlier so that I can work more while the kids are asleep and working after my husband has gone to bed. It’ll look like relying on the Lord to carry me through this season because he has seen fit for me to walk through it.
So whatever it looks like for you, I encourage you to sabbath with me in 2025–to sabbath with me today.
