You’ve heard about Sabbath. You may even be intrigued about the idea of celebrating Sabbath yourself. A day of rest? Who wouldn’t be intrigued?
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Exodus 20:8-11
But then reality sets in. Is it possible for moms and dads of little kids to have a day of rest? And how do little kids observe Sabbath? Does that mean they have to sit still and be quiet all day? You can’t imagine that happening, either.
Reconsider what Sabbath might look like for a young family.
Start by throwing out all those rules and preconceived ideas you may have about Sabbath. It will not mean a perfectly quiet house. It will not mean children who are perfectly obedient. It will not mean perfect peace and harmony. Your family will not magically change into people who love and obey and help and spend the day praying and reading their Bibles.
Let’s think again about what the Sabbath is all about.
- A day separated from the rest of the week.
- A day to be different from the rest of the week.
- A day to enjoy God.
- A day to enjoy your family.
- A day to rest from weekday work.
How does a family make that happen?
First, a little bit of reflecting. What things does your family enjoy doing together?
Don’t push this too far—there is always one who wants to do something different, but what things do most of your family members enjoy doing together?
- Eating special foods together.
- Going to the pool/lake/splash pad together.
- Biking, walking, or skateboarding together.
- Watching a family-friendly movie together.
- Playing board games together.
- Reading a favorite book together.
- Acting out a Bible story together.
- Having friends or family over for a SIMPLE meal or dessert.
- Nap time.
Make sure you pull the rest of the family to reflect on this with you. And while you’re at it, make sure that your family knows that the Sabbath is a gift from God—a gift He is giving your family because He loves you!
Make a big, long, fun list of things you could do together on many Sabbaths to come.
Second, do some very loose planning.
If you write it down, use a pencil. You know that things will happen to change your plans. Somebody will come down with the flu. It will rain on that day when you planned to go to the pool. And it’s the Sabbath—you want your plans to be loose enough to change if something fun and unexpected comes up, like an invitation from another family, a concert you just heard about, and who knows what else.
That first step of planning is the fun planning. There is also some very practical planning that needs to happen. It may be the Sabbath, but people still need to eat, they still need clean clothes, and babies need tons of attention.
The days before the Sabbath are when the practical bits need to be thought through and accomplished. Look for simple menu ideas—things that can be cooked/baked the day before and warmed up. If you are not going to be able to let go and relax if the house isn’t just so, that’s okay—you just need to plan the time to take care of it before the Sabbath begins. Clothes washed and laid out. Kitchen reasonably straight and clean. Paper plates and cups in the pantry so that dishes won’t have to be washed.
Enlist the help of everyone old enough to pick up and clean up with the idea in mind that the Sabbath, our gift from God, is coming!
Another part of your planning could include:
- What day are you celebrating the Sabbath? Sunday won’t work for everyone, and that’s okay. It’s best that there are five workdays, one preparation day, and then the Sabbath, but it can be whatever day that works best for your family.
- How long is your family’s Sabbath? Irregular work hours can make observing the Sabbath difficult but not impossible. Maybe your Sabbath is 24 hours or maybe it is 12 hours or even 8 hours. Sure, a whole day is best for your body, but a few hours of rest are better than none at all. Accept the season you are in and celebrate.
- Are you going to have a plan for screens? Are screens going to be put away for your Sabbath or used for certain things only?
- Are you going to limit extracurricular activities like sports practices and games?
Third, you are ready for your Sabbath … whoa!
Not quite yet. Before the day actually gets here, please agree with your spouse and your kids to add great big scoops of grace to your Sabbath-keeping. Sabbath is not always going to be idyllic—maybe never at all. That’s okay. Take a deep breath. Accept the imperfections and flaws, and jump in!
Now, you are ready. Your day may look like getting ready for church and enjoying God together in the service, then coming home, lighting a special Sabbath candle, and sitting down to a warmed up but yummy lunch, maybe with a favorite dessert. And then? Whatever helps your family enjoy each other and God and to rest from the hustle and bustle of the everyday!
Sabbath is going to look different for every family, and it’s going to look different again as your children get older. Don’t compare your family to anyone else. This is your family’s Sabbath. Make it your own, be willing to experiment and change, and just enjoy God’s gift to you, the Sabbath!
Additional Resources
- From Focus on the Family: Learning the Sabbath
- From A Virtuous Woman: 25 Sabbath Activities for Families
