Thanks for the day of "rest."

I was going to call this post "Thanks for the Sabbath School" but then I thought I might be the only one who knows the titles of super obscure hymns. I don't actually think I've ever even heard that one but I've noticed the title.

One Sabbathy hymn that I do know and love is "Gently Raise the Sacred Strain." This is one of my favorite hymns ever ever. (Even though it's hard to play it's wonderful to sing.) I get so excited when I see it on the program for sacrament meeting. I love the phrases in it and the repetition--"return his thanks to God," "holy day," "of broken hearts, of broken hearts, as a willing sacrifice, showing what his grace imparts," and my favorite favorite verse, the fourth verse! "Holy, holy, is the Lord. / Precious, precious is his word: / Repent and live, / Repent and live; / Tho your sins be crimson red, / Oh, repent and he'll forgive. / Oh, repent, and he'll forgive."

I know there are some people who read my blog who are not LDS and who may want to know more about the church's Big Announcement this past week which wasn't so much an "Announcement" as an "Accidental Leak of Information." I have thoughts on that but I'm not ready to put them into words just yet. But it's coming. Sometime. Just so you know I'm not ignoring it. Oh I'm certainly not ignoring it!

So anyway, speaking of church. It's Sunday today. There has been a LOT of talk this year at my church about keeping the Sabbath day holy, or if you will, "making the Sabbath a delight." Am I right? Phew. A lot. I have tuned out some of it (sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose) but the repetition has done its job. It's on my mind. I'm trying to make it a special day. I can't say it's especially a day of rest now that I have a baby... or that it was a day of rest when I was the Primary chorister... or that it was ever a true day of rest when I had my other babies and toddlers or when I was in college or when I was ever busy with anything... but although there isn't much physical rest, I like the break in routine. I like diverting my thoughts and hopefully elevating them. I like the built-in excuse to set aside much of the day-to-day. I like the built-in excuse to say "no, sorry, we can't make it." I love the lazy mornings (which won't be so lazy when we go back to 9 a.m. church in January... sad).

Anyway, the Sabbath is such a gift. Even if I weren't religious I think I would observe it. Just take the day off from the rest of the week. Today was a busy one. My house is a disaster. But I'm not even going to worry about it. Monday always comes, and I'll tackle it then.