Yesterday when I was hopping from one event to the next, I told myself to think back to those restful Saturdays when we spent the entire day at home, cleaning up, playing outside, relaxing. This Saturday was the exact opposite of those Saturdays. And the truth is, even when you’ve experienced a slow Saturday, you can’t get that feeling back on a busy one.
It’s not often that I schedule more than one thing per day. I like to keep my days low key, easy and very manageable. I knew April would be a busy month as I watched it approaching. Every single Saturday was filled with a photoshoot. And now we’ve added baseball and this Saturday included a friend meet-up for my big girls. That meant we were running around delivering kids and attending things all day long. I know the rest of the world does this routinely, but it is something I try very hard to avoid.
What I realize when I have a Saturday like this is the reason I must guard some of my Saturday time, and that reason is Sunday.
A long time ago I made the commitment to host Sunday dinner at my house after church with my family. They all bring food, far more than I manage to prepare, but it is still a big commitment to have my house somewhat ready for guests (they don’t expect spotless), get all the dishes clean (because we use every single fork) and a dish or two to contribute. Then I have to make sure everyone is bathed and has clean hair. I iron and lay out clothes. I find two matching shoes. I prepare the bulletin for my husband to copy.
The busier I am on Saturday, the more stressed and frustrated I get about Sunday. And there’s no reason to feel that way. I don’t want to lose the joy I have for Sundays because of a busy Saturday.
I love doing this. And I’m so glad they want to come here. I’m happy that my kids are growing up really knowing their cousins, aunts and uncles. Family fellowship is a special part of our Sunday worship. We spend the morning getting filled up with God’s word and then we come here and fill up on each other. Catching up on each other’s weekly activities.
I wouldn’t trade it for every Saturday packed with things. That’s why I must carefully choose how to fill those Saturdays. It helps me keep the joy of Sunday and look forward to it, happily planning, cleaning and preparing for the rest to come.
Which is why, Saturday evening when I began putting together the lasagna, I realized I didn’t have any noodles, and I had just been to the store.
I pulled out chicken instead. That meant we had chicken and dumplings, fried chicken and BBQ chicken for lunch today. But no one complained and everyone got full while we laughed and talked and read the Sunday paper.
The secret to rest on Sunday is an unhurried Saturday. And those things together make for a joyful weekend.
