a day in HER life - Holly Crabtree

What is true “rest”? I believe this is a question that many of us wrestle with, or will, ultimately. For the past 4 ½ years, I have taken one full day each week to rest and not work, i.e. to Sabbath. This means that one day a week, I do nothing but participate in things that fill me up spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Over the years my Sabbath schedule has been tweaked, mended, and altered to fit a mold that truly brings my soul rest. There are many people I love being with and things that I absolutely love to do, but finding the balance on my Sabbath has been a challenge. For example, even though I absolutely love people, I am also an introvert, and I can be easily “drained” by interacting with people. I remember my pastor in Texas saying once that although he undeniably loves preaching, it is still a “drain” for him. He must find ways to be “filled up” after preaching. That is how I feel on my Sabbath.

First and foremost, what I have found over the years is that the only way I truly feel my soul find rest is in reading the Bible. As a follower of Jesus, I believe that the Bible is God’s very Word. When I read the Bible I feel His Words enter into my soul and give me rest. For me, the words are alive and active and they bring life to my weary soul.

In the past I have tried doing a lot of things that I enjoy doing on my Sabbath like: being in nature, going to a coffee shop, watching a movie, or being with friends. These are all things that I love to do, and they give my body physical rest, but, I can still leave all of those activities and still feel weary, or tired.

I haven’t always done Sabbath well, and I am still learning how to have a “successful” Sabbath, but my prayer on my Sabbath is always this, “God, be my dearest friend today. Even if I spend this whole day ‘alone’, help me to recognize your Presence with me. Thank you for this day to rest with You.”

I recently moved from Austin, Texas to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and I have had to shift my Sabbath routine to a whole new part of the world. I had to find a new routine and it took a few trial and error’s, but I am happily content with my new routine and I would love to share what works for me. I hold my Sabbath as a sacred day and I will always guard it and protect it – it has become my favorite day of the week!

My Sabbath day:

Here in Dubai I Sabbath on Saturday’s so I like to sleep in until around 9:00am. I put my phone on the “Do Not Disturb” mode for the entire day (this is so freeing for me!), make my bed, and then I walk down my stairs to the kitchen where I make a cup of coffee. I have a comfortable chair in my room where I like to sit and read my Bible and spend time with Jesus alone for one to two hours. I read, journal, and pray while instrumental music plays through my blue tooth speaker on my windowsill. After this, I head back down to the kitchen to whip up eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Sweet and savory – best of both worlds! I typically have peaceful music playing while I cook and I let the stillness of the home sweep over me. I then walk my full plate of breakfast over to my kitchen table where I open my laptop to watch one episode of Gilmore Girls (my new obsession) and laugh for a full 45 minutes. After this, I clean up the kitchen and head upstairs to get ready to head to my favorite Dubai café. On the way to the café I listen to a podcast in the car since it’s a 30 minute drive and I really love to listen and think about what is discussed. The café is located inside a garden center and I sit within an air-conditioned green house. I know, dreamy! I sip on a flat white while I read a good book for about two-three hours. I typically read a Christian fiction or Christian autobiography because I love learning about God from a different vantage point. When I have read until my parking meter time has run out, I grab my bag and head out. In Austin I always loved going to Chick Fil-A on my Sabbath, but since that doesn’t exist in Dubai (such a shame!), I have enjoyed driving to a hip food truck area in Dubai where I can drive my car thru. I then grab a burger and some sweet potato fries, sit in my car and eat, while watching one episode of my favourite vlogger on YouTube. Lastly, I drive home and end my day by listening to a sermon online from my church back in Austin, Texas and reflect upon it as I head to sleep before the week begins once more. 

There you have it! This day is a cherished day for me and I hope you are inspired to find a day to Sabbath in your own lives. I am a single 27 year old girl, so I recognize that I have more uninterrupted time to spend like this, but I know many marrieds and families who take a Sabbath day, as well. It might take you a few weeks to figure out a good routine, but you will and it will be worth the hard work! I wholeheartedly believe that God has created us to find our true rest in Him - He is full of Hope, Joy, Peace and Rest. Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.

Thank you so much, Emily, for inviting me to write about a day in my life. What a joy this was!

Warmly,

Holly