“Why am I doing this to myself,” has been a question I’ve been asking myself for the last six weeks. We have been in a state of preparation. A few of the gardens in the yard had experienced years of neglect. The interior of the house was in need of some deep cleaning. All of this in anticipation of my son’s high school graduation. Food prep even began weeks ahead and was thrown in the freezer.

My body has experienced extreme muscle soreness from the landscape projects. The rocks around that tree were already there. They had to be unearthed, and weeds removed. I promised myself not to let this level of neglect take place again. Okay, at least not before the final graduation party in three years :0)

I was reflecting on the preparation for the Sabbath in the Hebrew tradition. It is a day given to prepare food, surroundings and the body for a day with God. In one place, I read it was to bring joy to the Sabbath. It’s true that we were subjecting ourselves to all this preparation for the graduation celebration to be joyous. I wanted my son to feel special and our guests, welcome.

I had to ask myself, “Why don’t I do that for God?” There have been times when I have prepared for time with God through retreats and it brought anticipation and excitement, so why don’t I do it regularly?

“If you watch your step on the Sabbath
    and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
    God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
    making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!
    Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”
    Yes! God says so! (Isaiah 58:13-14 MSG).

When I do prepare, God always shows up in a way that surprises me and brings joy. What would happen if I did this regularly?  What would happened to my prayer and devotion time if I prepared my space and my body for it? What door would I open for God to impact my heart? I think I have been missing out.

How about you? How do you prepare for time with God? How has it impacted your relationship? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.