In our 24/7 world, with constant electronic access there is little chance of powering down. I invite you to pause and reflect for a moment. Were there times in your childhood when you were out in nature, up a tree, by a lake, when you were completely out of touch with “the rest of the world”? You may have been on the floor of your bedroom or in the attic, but no one could reach you and your imagination was your companion. Do you recall your free ranging thoughts, your daydreams leaping from one amazing concept to another? Now I ask you, is there any time like that for you now? How about for your kids?
It can be extremely hard to put down your cell phone and gather your multi-tasking thoughts when you haven’t been doing that for… well, maybe for years. But the gift of Shabbat is that you can choose to be commanded to relinquish the jittery world for the calm of a different world, the world of Shabbat.
I invite you to take a short vacation Shabbat, whether you do it just for Friday night or choose to extend it into Saturday, give yourself and your family a little staycation. Let me know how it goes.