Sabbath

Could it be that my sabbath is waiting in line at CVS? In all things, I will give God thanks and praise. 

When I got up this morning, I couldn’t decide whether I should go to church or not. My indecision was fueled by the spike in COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma, along with knowing my husband had been around people who tested positive for COVID-19, plus knowing I have a doctor's appointment in the morning I don't want to miss. I was aware of extreme fatigue from trying to make right decisions during the continued pandemic while also being frustrated by missing out on things. I was also going through the weirdness of my husband returning last night after two weeks of travel, but us needing to distance in the house until he can be tested.

So, when I came to a decision this morning, it was to not go. I put on my workout clothes and prepared to get on the treadmill. Then my husband said something that changed my mind so I quickly showered (including washing my hair, which adds significantly to the getting ready routine), ate breakfast, got dressed and went to church, arriving only a couple of minutes late. 

It was a great service. I was glad to be there. The sermon, focusing on The Lord's Prayer, and the special music richly ministered to me. Afterward, I was able to practice a vocal duet with piano accompaniment I will be part of, God willing, next week.

After that, I went to Natural Grocers to get my multivitamin that was on sale for half-price. When I'm there, I always look for other bargains on things I only get at that store. I found several things of interest.

When I left the house, I knew I planned to go to church, to Natural Grocers and to CVS to pick up a couple of prescriptions. I was unsure about going to Walmart. In my car after finishing at NG, I called my husband to talk it out. I decided to go on to WM, knowing I would regret it if I didn't (because there were things I needed to get, and I would not want to go out again after I got home). 

Walmart started fine but quickly took a slow turn, and I soon began to get weary, with so many people going the wrong direction down the crowded aisles. When it was time to check out, after I had all my items on the self-check conveyor belt, I discovered the belt wasn't working. No big deal -- I could push them along. Then a couple of items wouldn't scan, so I had to get the customer-service rep to help. Still OK. It wasn't until I tried to pay and it required I get approval again that I started to feel annoyed. I was glad to get out of there. 

In my car, I headed out of the parking lot in the direction of CVS. I was stopped by road construction and had to backtrack then go another way. OK. Breathe. No big deal I guess. Listening to the positive and encouraging music of KLove Christian music always helps.

I looped around another way, then headed on to CVS. There, I saw four cars ahead of me. Sigh. Will I wait or go on? I decided to wait. It took more than 30 minutes. 

It was during the wait that I recalled my morning meditation about the importance of sabbath. When I read it, I knew it was something I don't really understand how to do. It seemed unrealistic. There's always work to do on Sunday, even if all one does is go to church. Of course, I had much more in my plans today that just going to church. 

I was grateful to realize I could worship God while I wait. 

When I got home, I put away the groceries, then dressed to go for a walk, despite the 53-degree (feels like 49) assessment from my Weather Channel app. I'm glad I went. It's the first time I've walked in this area while wearing a mask; the cool weather made the face covering welcome. I saw some kind of bird, perhaps a hawk, I'd never seen before. I was aware of God's presence with me.

After my walk, I sat down at my computer to try to do some prep work for tomorrow's doctor's appointment. I took a quick look at Facebook first, and was delighted to find that a concert I had wanted to attend this weekend in Texas was streamed on Facebook. That may have been the best gift of the day, although it turned out there were many.

Before I got to that point of recalling the need for sabbath in the line at CVS, I was feeling so weary, I was on the verge of tears. I still may cry, although now they will be tears of gratitude and acceptance rather than despair and frustration.