Several times in these daily musings I have mentioned the book Sabbath:Finding Rest,Renewal and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller. It is one of the books that I return to over and over. Do you have a book or two that you periodically reread parts of because you are seeking to reclaim some feeling ,bit of wisdom,inspiration? This is a book that centers me and helps me remember what it means to be human…..and that I am not God. So I thought that over this week I would pull out some particular pieces that feed my soul and bring sanity to my days and share them with you. I hope you find these bits helpful and healing.

Muller is an ordained minister, therapist and founder of Bread for the Journey,an organization that supports the efforts of local people serving the needs of those in need in Mill Valley, California. He makes this statement is the opening paragraphs:"Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment are better than rest, that doing something-anything-is better than doing nothing. Because we do not rest, we lose our way."

I have taken these words to heart so many times. I don’t know about you but even on my day off or on vacation it takes me hours, sometimes a full day to slow down enough to be fully present to the gift of rest.This busy-ness is a behavior that I have cultivated.Trust me, it is not genetic.  I come from a long line of folks who can sit endlessly on the front porch and glide,rock,sit in silence and watch the traffic pass. I am always blessed to be in their presence and to slow down to their pace.

"Without rest, we respond from a survival mode, where everything we meet assumes a terrifying prominence…..Every detail inflates in importance, everything seems more urgent than it really is, and we react with sloppy desperation."   Sound familiar?

The Creator placed within the Universe the rhythm of rest….Sabbath. Over the next several days, I invite you to consider the gifts of Sabbath….what they offer our world, our faith,our relationships, our communities, our lives.

As Gandhi said: There is more to life than merely increasing its speed.