first week.

On June 1, David started a three month sabbatical. It’s a chance for him to take a break from the nonstop demands of full-time ministry, and to spend time in prayer, study, travel, and with our family.

Honestly, the first week just felt kind of strange. I was sick with a virus all week, and spent most of my time in bed or on the sofa. It was very nice to have David here to spend time with the kids, but the house still felt kind of lame with me laying around all day. Then Saturday arrived, and as the day progressed we all felt more and more sad that we wouldn’t be at our church for worship Sunday morning — and the eleven Sundays after that.

So, it’s a bit hard to get our bearings.

But that’s to be expected, right?

We came off a busy spring, not just with church ministry, which is fairly all-consuming, but with soccer, homeschool co-op, and finishing the school year.

So now that all of it’s over kind of at once, it’s just . . . strange.

In 2021, I’m trying to grow in the area of “feeling my feelings.” This means not trying to stuff them or deny them or distract myself; simply to acknowledge them. This process typically looks like noticing a big or negative emotion, then sitting down with my journal for ten minutes to write exactly what I’m feeling. I then take a few minutes to be curious about it — without judgment.

I’m trying to apply this practice to my beginning-of-sabbatical restlessness. It would be easy to immediately pack our schedule full of friends or turn on the TV more, or — what’s most tempting for me personally — to berate myself for the way I feel (why can’t you be grateful, Julie? What’s wrong with you? You have this incredible gift and you’re not even happy about it).

Instead, I’m letting sabbatical be a little bit uncomfortable right now, like a shoe that doesn’t quite fit. I will accept this season. I know that we need it. I know we’re going to love it and make some terrific memories. It’s okay if that takes a little time.

We have been shown the way of acceptance on every page of the life of Jesus . . . It is a glad and voluntary YES to the conditions we meet on our journey with Him, because these are the conditions He wants us to share with Him. Events are the sacraments of the will of God — that is, they are visible signs of an invisible Reality. These provide the very place where we may learn to love and trust.

– Elisabeth Elliot