Putting Rest on the Calendar

This pandemic has caused an epidemic everywhere. In your home. On your job. Out in these streets. Upward mentally. Downward physically. And so on. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I’ve suffered insomnia to great levels since covid-19 to the point where I’ve considered seeking professional help.

One friend of mine offered me a piece of advice that made an immediate impact: go outside and get that vitamin D for about 10-15 minutes a day. I tried it and it worked beyond my wildest imagination.

Then he hit me – rest has taken on a morphed shape since mid March. I feel like this is the case for all humans. Our calendars haven’t changed much, and that’s something we ought to reconsider. There’s something inherent in putting rest into our calendars that provides us cycles of health on many levels.

In the West, our presumed calendar is five + two. 40 hours used to be commendable. Now folks are busy-shaming others for not working doubly hard in addition to gaining some extra hobby that affords you profit and/or phame. Then take two days to focus more on that hobby and then some Netflix/Hulu/Prime and chill.

The Jewish calendar approach is six + one. The idea is to be literally tied to what God did when He created this world. So they work hard creating and cultivating things for six days, and then rest up on that one day (because you’re gonna need it).

I’m not here to tell you which calendar to adapt for your life and family etc. I just want to raise the appropriate question of where does rest fit in. The Christian calendar is a complete reversal of what we might consider common sense: it’s a one + six format. The rest is placed on the front end followed by six days of work.

Admittedly, this calendar format is incredibly hard for me. For one, I tend to not see Sundays as the beginning of the week for me. Sundays means rest and worship. But here’s the other part that is a game changer. I begin my week resting in the work that God completed. (See Jewish calendar). I don’t heap on more and more back-breaking work to my plate, aka shoulders, for the week. I don’t do that because I know all that was needed for me to accomplish what I’m employed to do was done by God, therefore, I rest in that mental safety net. Sure I have goals and weekly tasks….who doesn’t. But my approach is one of thankfulness for what my creator did for me. I’m not the alpha and omega of all good things happening in my department, project, team, or company. That’s a great feeling.

This approach has offered me moments where I “woosah” throughout the week. Sometimes I’m able to do that the same way Marcus and Mike did it if you get what I’m saying. And I’m able to get some vitamin D outside even during this pandemic, which continues to provide me blessings on blessings on blessings. Whatever your calendar regimen is, I do hope you desire to fit rest in as much as you want success, gym, games, or being around people to be in there.