Day 35: Actually resting on the Sabbath

I went in to urgent care yesterday because I couldn't quite catch my breath and my cough was a whole two levels worse than usual.  Enough for me to wonder if I needed more than my standard "fight off colds" medicines. 

I was on the fence about going because frankly,  I got five kids and I don't got time for that.  But as I hemmed and hawwed I decided I would rather take time,  get meds now (if they will actually do anything) rather than spend the next two months trying to recover from whatever this was.  Plus both my mom and my mother in law said I sounded terrible and should go.  

So I went.  

As predicted,  the whole ordeal took like 4 hours and the kids ran completely wild while I was gone.  But I did find out that I had developed mild pneumonia and was sent home with a host of remedies to ameliorate the problem. 

The baby also had some sort of cold.  So instead of a litany of palm Sunday activities and a first birthday for a friend's baby.  I laid in bed watching endless vehicle themed children's programs,  occasionally getting up to pick up a round of dishes off the living room floor or rescue play dough out of the match car bin. It was strange because I wasn't acutely sick like when you have the flu.  More just easily winded.  Get up for a bit, do stuff,  plop on the couch.  My body just wanted to rest. 

Generally, laying around and doing nothing is rather unrejuvinating for me.  I get more rest from a long day in nature followed by a good night's sleep.  Laying around tends to send my mind to weird places and can make me a little anxious knowing that there are kids to be cared for,  house to clean and things to be done.  Even when I went on a girl's trip and the kids were cared for, I found I had a really hard time not moving.  My body likes exercise. So I walk the beach rather than lay on it. 

But today,  my body did not have gas in the tank.  So I thought about rest and sabbath,  productivity and the value I assign myself for getting things done.  I thought about our busy culture and over scheduled lives.  And how I would never dream of spending half of Sunday,  or any day,  in bed unless I was sick. Or how I would find meaning in life if I found myself bed ridden. 

Then. I thought about Jesus. 

Today Jesus rode into Jerusalem knowing he wouldn't leave.  All the thoughts about myself pale in comparison.  We are at the start of holy week where we witness what it looks like to die to self and be filled fully with love.