I had a dentist appointment not too long ago for my bi-annual cleaning and checkup, so I took a day off the job. I have been blessed with a wonderful job, and have accumulated many hours of sick leave, therefore, I took the entire day off. I knew that after the morning appointment, I would have time remaining to do whatever I wanted, so the contemplation began of how I could best use that time. Most people, including me, would usually use the time to catch up on chores at home, like laundry, house cleaning, mowing the lawn or doing the dishes, because we know there is always something waiting to be done. The ‘chore cycle’ is certainly one that is never ending. We know we will never have all the laundry done, except when we have folded the last load, right before we undress and put our PJs on and put the clothes we just had on in that beautifully empty basket. The same goes for the dishes, they never seem to all get completely done. However, I decided that day, because we all must do those tasks on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, why should I do these things on my day off, when I will just have to be doing them continuously for the unforeseeable future. So, I decided I would do something totally different.
I am not a big shopper or spender, but I went to the store and milled around a little while and picked up a few items for the grandkids for Halloween. I then made my way back to the house and decided to put the pictures up on the wall that had been sitting on the bed waiting, since I repainted a while back. I made myself lunch and decided to sit and watch a movie while eating, instead of working while eating as I normally do. Later in the evening, since my husband was out of town for work, I watched a second movie on the Hallmark channel and enjoyed it thoroughly. All in all, I had a wonderful day. The thought occurred to me that this is something that I should do more often, and not only me, but everyone. Not only take a day off every now and then, but when you do take the day off, really take the day off from what you would normally do, or you are just working, without pay.
Taking the day off could look very different for each individual, because everyone’s lives and needs are different. You might decide to take the kids to the park if you never have a chance to do that, bake a cake or homemade cookies for the family as a surprise, go to the movie theatre with a friend, or sit on the porch and sip a cup of coffee or iced tea, while reading your favorite book or just take a long bubble bath. Can you really call it a day off if you have been mopping, vacuuming, or cleaning all day? Is this what the professionals are referring to as a ‘mental health day’? At my job we are constantly being bombarded with information regarding mental health. It is constantly being discussed in meetings, through emails and articles sent out on a regular basis. With the world in a state of chaos and riddled with problems of every kind, it is being emphasized more than ever before. Not only wars on the battlefields, but conflicts in political arenas, homes, and the workplace. Personal confusion, stress, anxiety, and lack of confidence, coupled with a sense of fear manifesting itself as road rage, domestic violence, and mental health issues. These will be more prominent in those who do not know the Lord, yet the struggle is real for everyone. When seeking solutions from other sources other than God, can lead to crime, addictions, and delinquency. We must not bury our heads in the sand but acknowledge the fact that these things are confronting us all. We are smack dab in the middle of the ‘rat race’. Because of this, we can all benefit by taking a day off to regroup, practice personal care and hit the ‘refresh’ button on our lives.
Often when I write my articles and blogs stories, a letter, or any type of correspondence, I use a feature that I found on my computer recently that will read the article back to me out loud. There are certain things that the spell check and grammar check features will not catch. For instance, the other day, I had used the word ‘life’ in a sentence, and meant to use the word ‘live’, but because it was a correct word, the spell and grammar checks did not catch it, but listening to it aloud, I caught it immediately. Unfortunately, there are still mistakes I miss, but it is a big help to me. There is one thing that catches me off guard every time I hear it, when using this feature and it makes me stop and chuckle. The computer will be reading along and if it comes to a semi-colon that is encased in parentheses, in the article, it will say, “Winkie face”, and just keep on reading. It makes me pause and just enjoy the moment. We need more of these ‘winkie face’ moments in our lives than we know.
The dictionary definition of comma is: “a punctuation mark (,) indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list and to mark the place of thousands in a large numeral.” Going further, the dictionary definition of semi-colon is: “a punctuation mark (;) indicating a pause, typically between two main clauses, that is more pronounced than that indicated by a comma.” Finally, the dictionary definition of period is: “also known as a full stop, is used to indicate the end of a sentence. It signifies a pause or a complete thought, allowing the reader to take a breath and process the information presented. By placing a period at the end of a sentence, you create a clear boundary between one idea and the next.” These are things we all need in our lives from time to time. It may just be a pause for a short ‘winkie face’ chuckle and a deep breath, or a rest during our day for a cup of coffee and lunch, or down time between tasks to regroup and reassess our day, or a ‘full stop’ like a complete day off. We need to make time for ‘stop and smell the roses’ moments.
Isaiah 28:11-12 prophesied of the Holy Ghost that was to come, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.” Jesus offers us rest in Matthew 11:28,” Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is with us now in Spirit giving us the rest we need, when allow him to. We cannot give him our burdens and then continue trying to work things out for ourselves. We must take a hands-off approach and allow him to work on our behalf. Could we be considered ‘micro managers’ when it comes to giving our problems to God to solve? Something to contemplate. He said in John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” We must learn to rest and be comforted. It is not selfish, it is necessary.
There is a word that is found in the Psalms, 71 times and is found in the book of Habakkuk three times. Researchers and theologians, writers and scholars of scripture are not completely sure of the origin or meaning of the word. This word is, ‘Selah’. Though the verses vary and are mostly a one lined statement or observation, they are all expressing God’s greatness as a Higher being and creator, and our weakness or smallness as creation, with a period aka full stop, then the word ‘Selah’ as a stand alone phrase, followed by another period. It is thought to indicate a pause at the end of a sentence to contemplate what was just said in the sentence. Some have said it indicates a ‘moment of silence’. Whatever the actual meaning, it is shown as a break between two statements, and can definitely be seen as a ‘Praise Break’, if you will. After the shepherds had come to see Jesus in the manger and had disclosed all that the angels had told them about the child, Luke 2:19 states, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” She listened, she paused, and contemplated all that she was hearing and seeing and the ramifications thereof. Jesus prescribed rest to the disciples after a long stint of ministerial activity in Mark 6:30-31. “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
Others say that the word ‘Selah’, because it appears at the end of the song, is possibly the musical notation for a pause. Depending on the tempo of the song, you could have a whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note or a sixteenth note rest. This thought does have some merit because we know that David was a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Yet this is still a point at which you stop and rest, if only for a moment. Taking a deep breath every now and then is beneficial to both the body and mind. According to health experts, there are many benefits to practicing deep breathing techniques. It can calm the mind, detox the body, reduce stress, improve immunity, digestion, and focus, raises energy levels and assists in better sleep patterns. Meditation is another type of pause we can take in our lives, which enhances self-awareness, reduces anxiety and stress, and promotes emotional health.
If we follow what the scripture instructs us concerning meditation, the dividends are even greater. Various Psalms state, “I will meditate on all thy works, I will meditate in thy word, I will meditate in thy precepts, I will meditate in they statutes, I will meditate on thee in the night watches, I will meditate on thee day and night.” However, this was not an exclusive practice of David’s only. Here are a few more examples. Genesis 24:63, “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.” Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” 1 Timothy 4:13-15 tells us, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” Filling our minds with wholesome things allows us to drown out some of the craziness of this world and regroup.
Here are examples that show us that it is beneficial not to just read the Bible just to say we did, but to stop and absorb what we have read, to gain the nutrients that are in the word, of understanding and wisdom. If you are a minister or writer or leader of any type, and you feel you have hit a wall, have writer’s block or at a stale mate in what you have to say, share, or give to your group of followers, try practicing the pause, the ‘Selah’ moments and listen to the voice and word of the Lord. If you have an idea or thought, no matter how insignificant or profound you think it may be, come to a ‘full stop’ and write it down so that you do not forget it and then torture yourself later because you forgot it. In this crazy, busy world, we must learn and practice tips and tricks for just taking those small ‘winkie face’ pauses. We must stop the rushing, scurrying, and racing to and fro that this world advocates and make room for a break. We must stop just existing and start living. Living begins when God breathes into us the breath of life. Yet this was not a one-time creation moment or a one-time at birth moment, but it is a daily need. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
I am a wife of over forty years, a mother to four beautiful daughters and have been involved in ministry while working a full time job for over forty years as well, therefore, this should be a testament in and of itself, that I am not an advocate of selfishness. I do have a hard time sitting still myself at times and this is why I am not only pleading with all of you, but preaching to myself as well, when I say stop, pause, take a break, enjoy life while you can. Because we must be all these things to so many and wear a multitude of hats on any given day, makes this even more important. You cannot pour into others if your cup is empty. We had to ‘bite the bullet’ in our home recently and buy a new coffee pot. We are now ‘hip’ and more up to speed because the store did not have a Bunn, like we normally use, we had to buy a Keurig. It is pretty fancy. You can make a full pot of coffee, on one side, or just the single cups of 8, 10, 12 ounces on the other. However, no matter what you choose at the time, it will let you know if the water reservoir in the back is empty before it allows you to go any further. You may be trying to make a 12 ounce cup with only 8 ounces of water left for use. Is this like, ‘Trying to get blood out of a turnip’? Impossibilities and limitations do exist, and that is okay. Just stop and replenish the reservoir.
What is it that the IT guy always says when you call in a ticket on your computer that continues to mess up during the day and is driving you crazy? “Did you try rebooting the computer?” This is the 101 on computer fixes. Yes, if something more is needed, there will be someone who can fix it, or replace it, however, try to practice good ole common sense maintenance first. This applies to our lives as well. We must take time to ‘reboot our system’, rejuvenate our bodies, hearts, souls, and minds, to keep going and continue being effective. Make time today for a ‘winkie face’ moment.