Is it possible to savor a good weekend??
It seems like Monday too quickly washes away the good experiences of a weekend. Is that true for you? Perhaps you like what you do at your job so much that you can’t wait to get back started on it first thing Monday morning. I know that pastors tend to be a little drained on Monday so many make that their day off. Although, one introverted pastor I know who is a good teacher cant’ wait to get back into the study on Monday.
But, I feel like if I allow the demands of a new week to close the book too quickly on a good weekend then I’m missing something. It feels like skimming across the surface of my life.
This past weekend I did a wedding for a couple I did not know until they approached me months ago. They had met on the first day of their freshman year at UNC nearly eight years ago, so they were coming back to Chapel Hill to get married. An outdoor wedding had to become an indoor wedding in fifteen minutes when it started pouring right before the mothers were to be seated. It went fine, though, and people had a great time being there. But, this morning they are back at work, probably not even able to give a thought to the great time they had.
Believe it or, gathering for worship on Sunday is meant to have some of the same kind of joy that a wedding has. It’s a reunion at the end of a week as the family of God gathers to know and to enjoy God, as well as each other. It’s also a time of meeting new folks as they visit. Yesterday, I enjoyed introducing guests to others who immediately welcomed them and included them in our weekly lunch. Encounters and interactions with one another that may not last more than a minute become meaningful times of connecting.
On Monday, I don’t want to forget those encounters. I don’t want to not pause long enough to pay attention to what I saw, to what I experienced, to whom I met.
So, one thing I try to do most Mondays is make a prayer index card for the week. I write down the major things to pray for in coming week, but I also use the other side to write down some things I want to thank God for from the previous weekend and week. It just takes a few minutes, but it helps me savor the good things that God brings into my experience.
What do you do to make sure that you are not skimming the surface of your life?