Sabbating.
It’s a made-up word first spoken by my friend Ashley of Missionary Films, our videographer extraordinaire at Revelation Wellness.
“I hope your Sabbating is going well.”
Sabbating- ( a made up word/verb), in the act of taking a sabbatical.
I haven’t been on social media for eight weeks. That’s the most amount of time I’ve been away from The Gram or The Facebook since I launched a page back in 2007 to share cute pics of my kids and what I was having for lunch, should anyone care. (Remember when we didn’t know what we were doing with social media, so we shared the mundane things to keep us stay-at-home mommies sane. Remember when reading a post and picking sides wasn’t necessary? Those were the days :)
If you’re reading this, I missed you much and wondered what many of you, my online friends, were doing each day. But, I have to say, the time I gained to be with God, I can’t afford to forfeit ever again. (Listen to the audio podcast attached to hear more about how I plan to re-enter the online social world, with one part of that strategy being why I will be found on this page talking and teaching those of you who need a friend who wants to live whole in a messy world.)
I didn’t know how badly I needed this time of deep rest until while not being required at a meeting or meeting a writing deadline, I allowed myself to sleep in. And sleep, I did!! During the first three weeks of having nothing to do or nowhere to be, I made sleep during the night and rest during the day my full-time job. Have you ever been so tired you worried something was medically wrong with you? Yah. Me too. (More about this in the podcast attached and how normal God’s word says this is.)
I have a few days left of my Sabbating with eight weeks of empty-nesting under my belt. I have so much to share. But for now, know this: I’m rested. I’m breathing deep. I’ve never been closer to Jesus and more aware that He is as close as my breath. The Kingdom of God is at hand.
He never wants me to return to working as hard as I was, running from the grief of losing what was (thank you, COVID-19). I didn’t know I was grieving until I allowed myself to rest and sleep.
The hedonic treadmill is a real thing. It’s the implicit need to stay busy or distract ourselves by overusing and abusing external things to keep us from feeling sad about what was lost. We are all prone to do this since, at our core, we God-image-bearing humans, deep down inside, carry around a feeling of loss. We know we lost the Garden of Eden, a place of deep intimacy with God. We lost it when we wanted more of what was good without God.
Idolatry is sad. And sadness not processed at the cross eventually gets too heavy and becomes a tiring thing.
In future posts, I will share all the practices and rhythms I’ve learned, which I will fight like a warrior-woman of a holy and whole God to keep in place. But the fight won’t be brutal where there is rest.
I would love to know when the last time you felt so tired you couldn’t see straight.
His love,
Alisa
Press play on the podcast link below if you want to hear a little more and as to what I plan to do in this space. Each time I post I will also enclose an audio recording where you will hear more of what God and life is teaching me. And bonus: Once you subscribe this impersonal, unpolished podcast will show up in your iTunes podcast each time I share.
Listen to more on this post above with this 15 minute audio podcast below titled “Mama Meets Talks”
If you know a friend who is in need of a friend to encourage them to stay whole in a messy world, feel free to share. I’m looking for a few good friends who want to grow in friendship with Jesus.
Thanks for being a friend!
Oh Dee! Here we are. Years later. Still growing. I’ve seen and know your name through the years. Yes. Please. Obey. Take the break. Clear your mind of all the noise. You won’t forget it. Even take a break from listening to me if needed. I’m not the point. He is. He wants more of you and when you give Him more you will NEVER regret it. My mind is so clear and my heart is on fire. I’m jealous for Him.
Go get jealous for Him. ❤️
Thank you Alisa! God used you today to speak into my life in answer to prayers this morning! Your message has confirmed what I have been sensing the Spirit leading me to do, recently sensing God firmly telling me to get off Facebook during a writers prayer meeting recently asking for one thing God wanted us to do. I know it was God speaking through you since I also have been pulling away & unsubscribing from most email communications but this morning opened yours without even seeing who it came from, a way I have discovered God brings His messengers into my life. I too have been grieving losses I never stopped to acknowledge, running my entire life from unbearable pain until COVID19 forced me into isolation without all the many activities I used to distance myself from me. Even after Trauma recovery training recently taken at high financial investment, coming out of the ‘cloud’ of my unknowing into conscious awareness and processing these griefs with God at my side, I did not accept the level of exhaustion recently pulling me away from most activities in order to keep spending the time I learned for the first time to take care of me while also spending quality time with my partner, the triune Almighty God, Father, brother & counselor. Thank you for taking this bold step (for God) as an example to others who follow you and convict and confirm what God is calling many to do as I sense we will need to be closer to God in the coming days & years in order to find any peace, stability & joy and help others who are struggling to stay whole in God. God brought you into my life 20 years ago on Periscope in a similar way, not looking for you but hearing you talk about wholeness in an entire new way that spoke to my heart, just before you left to go to Facebook, or I never would have found you. Thank you again for your honesty and authenticity and for your dedication to following Jesus Christ as your Lord.