How does a mother keep a Sabbath?

Being a mother is a non-stop job. Kids don’t stop talking. They don’t stop moving. They don’t stop eating. They do not stop making messes. Ever.

So how does a mother keep the Sabbath?

This question rolls around in the minds of many mothers just like it has been in my own. I have a feeling the answer is some what of a moving target. I’ll be trying to figure it out for the rest of my days. But with the help of some wiser women I’m working on a list of ways to help make my Sabbath a bit more restful.

The key is preparation. Obviously.

The Bible is clear that the Sabbath took a lot of work to prepare for. I don’t believe this was simply a reality of the time period. Even today you must be mindful of it all week long or Sunday will arrive and you’ll be using it in one of two ways. Frantically wrapping up the week in preparation for Monday or vegging out, completely exhausted and trying to recover. Neither of these options are actually restful or worshipful. God didn’t give us a second Saturday and I’m trying to get out of that rat race.

This post is not here to make a Biblical case for keeping the Sabbath. It’s also not making a case for what you should or should not do on the Sabbath. Finally, I’m not here to tell you what “rest” really means. Perhaps I’ll write on that at a later date.

### Super Simple Suggestions for a Restful Sabbath

1. Food

Add in a double batch freezer meal to your weekly meal plan.
Every week I try to plan a meal that I can easily make a double portion of to freeze and use 2 weeks later. Try enchiladas, taco soup, chicken alfredo baked ziti - YUM. Anything that freezes well will work. Make it once, eat it twice. If I do this once every week I always have something already made to eat on a Sunday that’s delicious and takes very little effort.

Make a snack tray.
This is a super simple idea that takes the guess work and the toddler arguments out of snacks on Sunday. I try to have one put together at all times for simplicity of mid day snacks. It gives my daughter options - all of which I’m ok with - and we don’t have to argue about what she eats 15 times each day. But this is especially helpful for Sunday’s when space needs to be made for rest. I love these snack trays with lids that make it easy to keep things fresh.

2. Home

Daily Habits for Restful Weekends
This is so important in terms of preparing for the Sabbath all week. Tiny habits that will help you stop using your Sundays as a catch up day. 2 things in the morning - 2 in the evening.

Morning
Laundry: Put 1 load in every morning. This will also help you to remember to move things to the dryer before you have to rewash (…maybe that’s just me…) Fold or hang the dry clothes. I like to put all my folded clothes in a basket and put them all away at once near the end of the week. But you do you. If you make sure to do one load every day M-F, you’ll never be without clothes, you’ll never need to catch up on it over the weekend. They will also be small enough loads that it won’t take more then 15 minutes of your morning.

Empty the dishwasher: Every morning I empty the dishwasher. This way I can put dirty dishes in it all day and they don’t pile up on the counter.

Evening
Run the dishwasher: If you emptied it in the morning it shouldn’t take much effort to clean up after dinner and run it. Keeping dishes under control each day ensures that you don’t have a large pile of dirty dishes to contend with once the weekend rolls around.

10 Minute Tidy: Get the kids involved! Spend a few minutes after dinner, before the bedtime routines and have everyone tidy up a bit. Again, keeping the chaos under control ensures your precious weekend and especially your Sabbath doesn’t get overthrown by chores.

Saturday Evening
Having a restful Sunday is often dependent on how you leave Saturday. Tacking a few Sunday morning tasks on to Saturday night will keep you from feeling frantic Sunday morning trying to get to church. It’s the worst when you’re stressed out and have already yelled at your kids (and husband) just trying to get out the door.

Kid breakfast prep: If your kid is anything like mine, it takes approximately 9 hours to eat a meal. That’s why I try to save as much time as possible in the mornings and have food ready the night before. Our favorite Sunday morning option is yogurt and fruit. I love these Squooshi Reusable Food Pouches! I fill one with yogurt (or applesauce, or smoothie, etc) Saturday night and put some fruit in a small container and breakfast is ready to be eaten the second she’s up!

Coffee Prep: I know many of you love your fancy french press or pour over coffee, but I just do not have time for that. I try to prep my coffee the night before most days, but especially on days I have somewhere to be early in the morning.

Clothes Prep: Have your outfit and your kid’s laid out before you go to bed. This has the obvious benefit of eliminating decisions. Even better - no more running around finding shoes in the morning!

3. Rise Before the Kids

Preparation of the heart
You might not believe me when I tell you that getting up earlier will add to your overall rest. But it’s true. Use this time to calm your heart and set your mind on things above. Spend time reading Scripture or praying. Stretch, shower or just drink your coffee in peace. Whatever you have time for before the chaos of the day begins. The point here is not to let the chaos of the day wake you up leaving you unprepared for the battle ahead. Trust me there is always a battle being fought for your attention on the Lord’s Day.

Ultimately it’s all about preparation and it only takes a bit of critical thinking to implement into your family’s routine. Figure out what will work for you and do it for the sake of your Sunday Sabbath.

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