Pressing Pause
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Imagine if the choice to do nothing was viewed as an act of kindness to yourself, rather than a sign of laziness, boredom, or disinterest.
"He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities."
– Benjamin Franklin
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
– Jim Rohn
Exodus 20:11
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Food for Thought
On a recent birthday cruise, I decided to treat myself to a manicure/pedicure. The salon was filled with women getting their hair done for the evening’s after-five festivities and a few men waited for massage appointments. Once I convinced myself that I really had to take home both the hand cream and oil products the salon used on me, I ended up paying almost triple the cost of what those services would have cost me back home. However, with toes sparkling in preparation for the evening, I patted myself on the back for indulging in another act of self-care.
By the time I returned home, however, I was tired and had to take a vacation day to recover from the vacation! In reflection, it occurred to me that I literally careened from one activity to the next that week. “One must fit everything in to get your money’s worth" was my motto. And while all the pampering, good food, and excursions with my best friend were definitely fun, they weren’t the activities that seemed to recharge me the most. I found the most life-giving moments to be in the time I spent on my cruise balcony — pausing to enjoy the quiet vastness of the ocean and finding an opportunity to rest.
Being able to pause the world around you, and find true moments of rest is a real superpower. It brings balance – mentally, spiritually, and physically – to every part of our bodies. Rest alone is a healing weapon. It can help neutralize irritability, burnout, depression, and provide us with spiritual connectedness. In Exodus, we are commanded to harmonize with God via a sabbath.
Often during the preparation of summer plans and vacations, we lose sight of what summer is supposed to provide us with: rest! “School's out for summer” has been a rallying cry to get busy having fun. But even fun is work and needs to be balanced with intentional breaks. Being mindful about adding moments to press pause and find rest is not a luxury, it’s a necessity ordained by God.
About 15 years ago, I experienced devastating ministry burnout. As a pastor’s wife, I worked tirelessly seven days a week alongside my husband in a small, but loving, church. During that time we tried to take off at least once a week to regroup and include getaways in our lifestyle for the sake of our marriage and ministry, but with no success. Eventually, our marriage ended and my husband quit pastoring. I, myself, had become an unhealthy wreck, but I made a decision that changed my life and aided in my healing – I began keeping a weekly Sunday sabbath. I didn’t work on that day, I didn’t socialize or do any extra church events on that day, I didn’t participate in Zoom meetings, and I turned my phone off after church. To this day, I keep a Sunday sabbath. I’m not dogmatic or overly religious about keeping my sabbath but I can probably count on one hand the number of times anything has interrupted it.
We’re responsible for fitting moments of rest into our daily lives. We're commanded to do so. All too often, summer self-care can consist of pampering events, planned trips, out-of-town visits to kin or family reunions, and “staycations” where, despite intending to rest around home, we fit in DIY projects, cookouts, picnics, and mini (or many) errands! And though those days have value too, finding intentional moments to just press pause has been a game changer in keeping a balance of true rest and rejuvenation in my own life. This is something we all need!
As you move through the summer days, what would help you keep balance in your life? What would it look like for you to practice pressing pause for a moment? Maybe try flexing your superpower, and author your own healing through the joy of true rest. You never know — a balanced, restful season might be right around the corner. Happy summer!
Consider adding rest to your “to-do” list. Pencil in mini sabbath periods to your routine. And let family and others know your boundaries. You might only be able to start with 2-3 hours a week, but baby steps are better than no steps, and you'll have a foundation to build on.
If your Summer schedule is already in full swing and you are in need of a fun way to stay connected with friends and loved ones through meaningful conversation, check out The Traveling Table! This FREE downloadable eBook series, can go with you wherever you go this Summer, and there is something for everyone!
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Loving God,
Help us to find moments to pause and truly embrace the balance of rest in our lives. Let us welcome rest in a way that is not only beneficial to ourselves but is also an act of care for those who care for us. May we wisely walk in and practice rest in a way that is honoring to the one who created us to do so.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Share about a time that you felt rejuvenated by being able to pause and rest – even if it was just feeling a second wind after waking up from a catnap!
Do you find it easy to press pause on your regular routine, or do you tend to fill your “rest time” with your to-do list?
When you think of true rest, what comes to mind?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Turn summer vacation preparation into a fun way for kids to be involved by having them come up with ideas on how to intentionally incorporate personal or family rest periods into your time.
Challenge kids to come up with 'rest rules' or boundaries that can be used throughout the year (a few examples could include “no screens during rest time”, “rest for a minimum of 30-min after school”, or “one day a week, dedicate a chunk of time to doing nothing”).
Napping or resting aren’t always the most popular activity choices for kiddos. Try to stay patient, but lovingly insistent, if this is a new incorporation into your family’s lifestyle.
Meet our Welcoming Voice!
Jacki-Lynn Baynks is a proud veteran of the US Army. She is an educator, author, and licensed and ordained minister. She is passionate about creating successful after-school partnerships between urban churches and public schools to keep at-risk kids off the streets and Black churches involved in education. She recently relocated from Charlotte, NC to a quiet suburb outside of Philadelphia to be closer to her family and grandchildren and works in Temple University’s Office of the Vice President for Research, Pre Award Research Administration.
To hear more from Jacki throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!