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It is Friday night. Our bellies are full from a wonderful dinner; our hearts are full from an evening of laughter and fun; and the small flames from the candles are flickering, waiting for G-d to put them out in His own time. The house is now quiet and a sense of Shalom (peace) surrounds me. It is Shabbat (Sabbath): the time that G-d the Almighty, the creator of the world, blessed be He, has set apart and given to the children of Israel for rest. We are commanded to keep it holy, and it's a good thing -- or I might never stop myself long enough to enjoy it.
On this Shabbat, I find myself pondering and reflecting on Shalom, this peace that HaShem provides and it reminds me of the eye of a hurricane. The storm comes on slowly, but it's rage intensifies with each passing hour and it pounds at you from every side. It shakes the foundation of your house, knocks out the power so you have no light, and threatens your shelter and your very existence. And then suddenly you enter the eye of the storm. Even though the storm continues to rage around you, when you are in the eye of a hurricane there is no wind or rain, the sun shines, and all is quiet, It only lasts for a little while, but its long enough time to breathe a sigh of relief, make minor repairs, and gather strength before the eye wall hits and storm begins again.
My life feels like a hurricane on many occasions and this summer it has felt like a Category 4. The winds and the storms of the world raged all around; tossing my life and my feelings to and fro, sometimes causing damage and much pain. I run from one meeting or event to the next and deal with one crisis or another: I homeschool; I'm starting to work part-time; we've had three funerals to attend this summer; my grandmother's in the hospital; we've experienced persecution and prejudice, and had to do some starting over. Sometimes Monday and Tuesday blurr into Wednesday and Thursday, and by Friday it can be a whirlwind trying to catch up.
And then suddenly it is Friday evening and I am in the eye of the hurricane. The storm around me stops and for 24 blessed hours aIl is quiet and calm. I am safe in the Father's hands and I can rest. There is an old saying that says, "More than the Jews have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept the Jews." I'm starting to understand this. On Sunday the backside of the storm wall will hit and it will start all over again. But I have hope and I have strength to face whatever comes next for I have rested. I have enjoyed good food, laughed much, enjoyed the company of friends, and mentioned the name of the Lord. I will have kept the Sabbath, and it will keep me... at least for one more week.
"May Adonai bless you and keep you. May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." ~Numbers 6:24-27 |
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