sabbath

Okay, now that I've gotten your attention, we all have our own opinions don't we? what is sabbath to you? think about it for a moment......why was it created? why does God bother to mention it? and beyond that, i happen to think He makes a pretty big deal about it. like, one of the 10 commandments. so if we believe and want to obey God and walk in all He has for us, then its something we need to explore. my intention is not to tell you what your sabbath should mean or should be in your life. after all, i am just another being on this planet that doesn't claim to "know" much of anything. my intention is to try and make you think. growing up, i knew no better than to just believe that the sabbath was sunday. (which is an different topic altogether!) you went to church, worked in the nursery, sang in the choir, attended sunday school. you spent time with family, (and thats if there wasn't any fried chicken after service) you went to choir practice and youth and bible study and training and prayer meeting , along with volunteering, and back to church. hear me out. those things are GREAT. those are some of the things that made me who I am today along with countless others. but lets face it. you WENT. you DID. you WORKED. let me say that again. you WORKED. now, i am not saying that some of us are not called to that or that there is anything wrong with it. i can only say what i'm learning and exploring for me. thats what it became for me. thats all. i'm simply encouraging you to take the time and ask God what should  sabbath mean for me?  there are plenty who must work on sunday (or saturday). take your minister or preacher for example. sure, that is part of their job. but ask them and i bet you will find they are observing their sabbath on a monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday or saturday. and if they aren't, they should be! we can only DO, WORK, and TAKE so much in a given week. take it from someone who knows. it is so very easy to keep on keepin on to the point that we are absolutely no good to anyone including US. wanna know something? i haven't "attended worship" in 4 weeks. yep, 4 weeks. is God still speaking to me? ministering to me? using me? helping me? you bet! i don't plan to stay out of "church" for another 4 weeks but if He called me to spend my time doing something else, i might. or like today, He put it in my spirit to stay home and REST and guess what? it was wonderful. it was what i needed. i was where i was supposed to be. so, how about you? following God is a daily, sometimes moment by moment thing. do you believe that God can call you to family time or alone time on a sunday (or saturday)? i do. i've seen it over and over again. we cannot make a religion out of attendance. thats what we have done as a christian society. religion, requirement, habit, job, etc.... i may not always understand what God is doing. i certainly don't get everything He asks of me! but i do believe that my part is obedience. to be open and available to do what He wants me to do. (no matter the day or time of the week!) and to trust Him. can we trust Him enough to miss sunday (or saturday) worship? can we? forgetting what our minds may be telling us (because of the way we are conditioned)? forgetting what someone else may think or even SAY?? forgive me, Lord because there's been plenty of times I condemned. i just simply didn't know any better. now, however, i do know better. and at the end of the day, who do i have to answer to anyway?