Finding a balance of work and play can be challenging at times. On our days off, it’s easy to look at the housekeeping list: grocery shopping, laundry, emails home, cleaning house…and to justify that a day off is meant to be spent keeping busy, so long as the “work” isn’t work related. And the truth is (as everyone knows), a day “off” is the only time we can be sure we’ll have the chance to fit everything outside of work, in–no matter how long our list is or how much we need a break. I know I’m not alone when I admit it, but I’m often so occupied by the “to do’s” that I forget to put things like rest, sit back, or relax on the same list.
I’m processing all of this because this past weekend has been a beautiful exercise in the task of resting. As a team (when we’re not hosting a team, and when there’s not something big or pressing scheduled) we typically take Friday and Saturday as our days off. (This way, Sunday can be spent in a church congregation, building relationships and leaving the door open for new possibilities for future ministry.) As busy as the weeks can be, though, Jason and I always find that there’s plenty to do by week’s end, and sometimes Friday and Saturday look a lot more like time spent running errands and taking care of business than time spent “taking it all in.” For me, this weekend felt SO different.
Friday morning started with a visit to a cute little coffee shop to meet up with some friends in the area. There’s something about earl grey tea and a bran muffin for breakfast that makes me happy (and everyone knows how much I like to sit in a coffee shop!) Afterwards, J and I decided we’d drive up to Pretoria just to explore for the afternoon. We wandered the gardens at the Union Buildings (where Nelson Mandela gave his freedom speeches at the ending of Apartheid) and visited Church Square.  We considered a nature reserve for an afternoon hike, but the cost of entry was a bit high and so we wandered down to Midrand instead, hoping to find a good way to spend a few hours’ time. Late afternoon, we met up with Michelle–one of my good friends from YWAM Perth, and the crew at the Midrand YWAM base. Not only was it just great to see her again, but J and I had so much fun helping with the youth camp that Michelle’s team was putting on that night. It was really uplifting to be in the mix of so much energy! As we left, I realized just how significant it was to reconnect with an old friend, and my spirit was so rejuvenated by the time we were able to spend together. I went to bed refreshed and feeling blessed by the day.
Yesterday we took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in a little, and then took time clean up our room a bit (I know, I know). For us though, it’s far more relaxing to spend time in a space that is all picked up and put away. We made a trip to the grocery store, too, but it was relatively brief, and it made provision for us to grill out for dinner (which we both LOVE to do). The weather in the afternoon was magnificent–I spent time sitting outside in the sun at the mission house, and then we took advantage of the spring-like temperature and went out for a run. It’s been a while, but it felt SO good just to get out and pound the pavement! Our evening consisted of grilling and then turning in early to watch a movie at home. As it came to a close, I looked back on the day and felt uplifted by so many aspects of it. This weekend, God blessed us with time.
Perhaps it’s sometimes better to take account, not so much of what you’ve checked off of the to-do list, but more of what you’ve added to the “I’ve done” list. Certainly, it’s the one we’ll have kept when our old “to-do’s” have long been tossed away–and it’s the one I want to be able to smile at when I recount all of this time I’ve been given on loan.
A great friend recently reminded me to, “make sure to fall in love with a day.” I can say I have now. I hope this speaks volumes of thanks!

This post was originally blogged on 5 August 2007 @ 2:07pm from Johannesburg, South Africa