A few weeks back, we talked at church about keeping the Sabbath holy. Aka... a day to rest. It has occured to me, that mom's (especially Stay At Home (SAH) moms) don't really get a day of rest. I was examining my life. My husband has been working 50-75 hours/ week in May and he only has one day off a week, Sunday. So, he too wants to rest and have a sabbath. BUT that means if he rests than I don't and that Sunday is the only day I know that I will have help. So, we are in the tug-a-war battle, of who gets to rest? What is rest? I feel like on Sunday's I am just as tired at the end of the day, if not more. I feel like there is not a day for me to recharge, rest, have some quiet moments, and be still with God and prepare myself for another long week. The only time I have is at 9:30pm and at that time I have holding my eye lids open with tooth picks to stay awake. I am really not trying to complain. I love my kids and my husband and I appreciate his hard hard work away from the house, so I can be a SAH mom. So, I am wondering, how do others mom's do it, or are we to assume that we will rest sometime in 15 years? Maybe I am complaining? It's been a really LONG month. I feel drained in all senses of the word. When I do get a quiet moment, there is laundry-lots of laundry, dishes, emails to return, Tupperware business to tend to, phone calls to make, packing to do, and teaching Jake some preschool things.
Because I don't like to be a complainer, I am trying something out for this week. I will be going to bed no later than 10:30 (lights out) and waking up at 6:30 to work out and be with God. I feel refreshed and recharged after working out and after reading my Bible, so I am going to make some changes and sacrifices to find the time I need to be healthy. You all know that I despise getting up early, but if I don't the "me" time will continue to get pushed back until I have nothing left to give of myself. And I know that, that is not good for me, my husband or my kids. This doesn't really answer my question of having a Sabbath, but at least it will guarantee some quiet time every day this week that I hope to meet God in. Keep me in your prayers. My body will be in shock!
I would bet that if you expressed to your husband your desire to have some time 'alone' on Sunday's he would be OK with that.
ReplyDeleteSabbath doesn't mean simply doing nothing. Sabbath can be experienced with children, or with friends, or even in doing some households chores.
Are you keeping your rest day free of other activities? Or do you pack it full like every other day? Finding rest means understanding what will recharge you and then guarding your opportunity to do that. Maybe tell your husband that you would like to go get coffee and read your Bible for a couple hours on Sunday afternoon? Then offer to do something for him that would create space for him to re-charge.
Being that he works so much during the week, I am sure that he enjoys spending time with the family on Sunday. Is it possible that he would only want you to make sure the kids nap for a couple hours so he can have the house quiet to watch baseball or read or do whatever else he does?
I don't think you are complaining, just honestly expressing yourself. I would try to sit down and talk some of this through with your husband and come up with a plan that leaves you both feeling rested and joyful.
Sorry this was so long. I have been thinking about this stuff as well lately.