When I create space to delight in God and rest in His presence, I can let go of doing and just be.

In An Invitation to Quiet Places with God, I wrote about the importance of stopping to enjoy a Sabbath day.

Today, I’ll unpack how to make it real.

And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested. Genesis 2:2

Observing Sabbath — setting aside one day each week for rest — is a spiritual discipline I’ve had to learn, and one I’m still learning. I wish I could say it came naturally to me, but honestly, it didn’t. At first, I found it incredibly difficult to step away from work, silence the distractions, and truly enjoy a day of rest.

After all, I’m from Detroit — a deeply rooted blue-collar city. I’ve always taken great pride in having a strong work ethic, being super productive, and getting things done.

So, when I first started practicing Sabbath, here’s where I failed.

I tried to make it a day where I did absolutely nothing. And that — for me — was the opposite of restful. It was actually very stressful.

Looking back, I still find it hilarious that I managed to overanalyze “doing nothing” to the point that it became a stressful, unattainable chore.

Then I was introduced to the BEMA Podcast, and it transformed my approach to work, rest, play, and delight — helping me discover my own Sabbath rhythm.

In the first episode, Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2. As they walk listeners through the creation story, they draw our attention to what God does on the seventh day.

And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested. Genesis 2:2

Why does God stop creating on the seventh day?
Why doesn’t God just keep going?
Why does God rest?

Marty explains:

And so God finishes, because there’s nothing more to do. God knows that it’s done. And he steps back and he says, “I just want to enjoy it. It’s so good. It’s tov meod. Creation is so good.” And then he says, “I just want you to enjoy it with me. Just come. Just come enjoy.

Just come enjoy.
Rest is enjoyment.
Rest is taking a break with God to enjoy.

That mental reframe changed everything for me. It gave me the freedom to Sabbath. The freedom to say that’s enough, my work is done (even when I feel there’s so much more to do), it’s time to rest and just enjoy God.

That freedom took me from …

• “Sabbath is for other people” to “Sabbath is a gift God designed for me too”

• “Sabbath doesn’t fit into my busy schedule to “Sabbath is important enough to make intentional space”

• “If I stop, I’ll lose momentum and fall behind” to “I trust God with my time, even when I rest”

• “I need to get Sabbath exactly right” to “Sabbath is about enjoying God’s presence, not performing perfectly”

So what does my Sabbath actually look like in reality?

Most weeks, I observe Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening. When that schedule isn’t possible, I intentionally set aside another day to Sabbath. This helps me stay committed to my practice without becoming overly rigid, allowing room for flexibility and grace.

Although I’ve been practicing Sabbath for a few years now, I still begin Friday evening with a simple reminder to myself:

God loves me, my work is done for now, it’s time to rest.

Then, I stop working.
For me, work is anything that feels like labor, pressure, or stress.

On Saturdays, I spend the day doing things that help me relax, connect with God, and delight in His presence. My Sabbath doesn’t always look the same, but it’s usually marked by rhythms of:

• Physical rest — like sleeping in or enjoying an afternoon nap

• Play — something fun, like a walk through the park

• Worship — through music and writing

• A treat — like a spa day or a tasty meal with loved ones

• And, of course, lots of prayer

And guess what — sometimes my Sabbath includes cleaning my home or tending to my yard because it genuinely brings me joy. I put on some worship music and sing and dance as I freshen up my space, and I’m as happy as can be.

I share my Sabbath rhythm because this is what works for me, and to encourage you that it’s wonderful if yours looks completely different — that’s actually a really good thing.

Just as our relationships with God are personal, so is the way we choose to observe Sabbath. This means one person’s Sabbath rhythm may look completely different from another’s.

The important thing is our focus, that it’s on God and on drawing closer to Him.

Whether you’re just getting started or renewing your Sabbath practice, here are a few practical things that helped me along the way:

1. Invite God in — pray and ask God to show you what Sabbath should look like in this season of your life, and what you may need to release to fully enjoy rest.

2. Invite others in — share your Sabbath plans with those closest to you so they can support, encourage, and help keep you accountable in your journey.

3. Schedule it and protect it — put your Sabbath on your calendar and guard that time just as you would any other important appointment.

Reflection Questions:

• How do you feel about your current patterns of work and rest?

• What does your inner critic say when you try to rest?

• What truth is God revealing to you about rest?

• How will you put this truth into action?

• What do you need from God to be able to commit to a Sabbath day?

As you take intentional moments to be with God, may His peace and rest settle on you.

From my upcoming poetry collection:

Series: Girl, Get Some Rest

The world shouts: “Do it all. Keep going!”

But God calls us to a better way — rest.

Together, we’ll slow down, reflect, journal, and learn to embrace God’s gift of rest.

This series was born out of my own journey with God and rest — where He’s taken me from seeing rest as something to avoid, almost like an enemy, to discovering it as something, better yet, someONE, to enjoy.

I’ll be sharing a new devotional from this four-week series every Sunday morning over the next month.

Week 1

Week 2

If this series resonates with you, I’d love to hear what other topics you’d like me to explore in future devotionals.

Life is full of demands.

Women carry multiple titles: wife, mom, friend, sister, chef, chauffeur, caregiver (along with our professional roles), and the list goes on. Trying to navigate it all can, at times, feel overwhelming and exhausting.

Blessedly, we have a quiet place to rest.

Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Mark 6:31

A few years ago, after conquering a season of challenges and incredible accomplishments, God called me to a place of rest. Candidly, when I sought God for my next big assignment, and He said get some rest, like a toddler, in protest, I wanted to respond — but I’m not sleepy.

In that moment, God reminded me that rest is not something I have to do but something, better yet, someONE, I get to enjoy.

In the chaos and busyness of life, God gives us the beautiful gift of Sabbath to remember Him, commune with Him, and be refreshed and restored in Him.

God knows we have the propensity to attempt to go at life on our own and hold onto heavy things He never intended us to carry — worry, fear, anxiety, shame, guilt — things that burden us, weigh us down, and wear us out. So, God keeps inviting us back to Him, inviting us back to rest.

Sabbath is a rhythm of rest and delight.

I understand stopping to enjoy a Sabbath day may feel impractical and impossible to implement with a never-ending to-do list. However, adopting a weekly Sabbath rhythm has added so much richness, joy, and wholeness to my life. I’m experiencing God in new ways and enjoying every restful moment with Him.

Plus, I’m so much better for those in my life and more productive in my work because I rested with God.

No matter how important your work, roles, and responsibilities are, you have God’s permission to rest. As beloved daughters of God, we get to enjoy rest.

Rest from working.
Rest from doing.
Rest from striving.
Rest from performing.

Rest to simply be with the Lord, sit at His feet, and enjoy the peace of His presence.

Here’s my challenge:

What is one thing you can do today to intentionally withdraw to a quiet place with God and get some rest?

For me, it’s writing.

Writing poetry is my love language to God and where I enter His peace and stillness.

If rest is not a consistent part of your spiritual practice, there’s no better time than now to start.

As you take intentional moments to be with God, may His peace and rest settle on you.

Series: Girl, Get Some Rest