For those first few weeks or months it feels like one long orgasm with no sight of an end to it, the honeymoon period I suppose. Before one returns home to the dishes, dogs, traffic and provisional tax paperwork that suddenly reveals “marriage” to be, probably, the biggest pain in the arse you’ve inflicted on yourself since you first ate Indian.

I’m pretty sure that none of this bureaucracy was ever intended for a twenty year old.. I know this every time:
a. a banker tells me I’m too young to bank with them, despite the fact that I could probably squash the knob with the change in my back pocket,
b. I sit in a conference mesmerized, not by the speakers’ words, but by what possible notion the man was possessed to have dressed the way he has before speaking in public.

Statistically, I should either be entangled in regular mind-blowingly brilliant varsity parties, while working my way slowly over the years to a suitably boring career… or running around naked in foreign cities or something.

But, as the vindictive twin of fate or miserable circumstance would have it, my pitiful fear of failure has me locked into this parallel universe. One in which people speak in monotone and fill out bits of paper just to gain more of it at the end of the month, so as to be able to give away what remains after a bit more paperwork that will decide just how much you should give to some guy that you’ve only ever seen in photograph… and probably on a big bit of paper justifying a tick next to his name on……………………

Yes, I’m feeling miserable.. Like a fish out of water, as it’s obvious that I was always intended to be born into a massive amount of money that would support me forever. But here I am, in a city where your todger is exactly as big as your bank balance, and working away at the penis pump every day alone in my apartment finds me tired, sometimes jaded, but mostly just pissed off with the state of things.

I actually found you on a google search “sick of capitalism change lifestyle”.. not sure what i was looking for.. maybe a fool proof formula for sailing around the world for the rest of my life

Mike, thanks for bringing up the topic. I will order this book, and I’ll keep praying that God will work miracles in me.

-Sara

Sandi - So good to hear from you! Diane and I are so thankful for the amazing work you did in Togo.

The Sabbath rest is so important. How do churches in America encourage Sabbath rest for their staff? Is it just your “day off” which is often spent running errands, paying bills, or taking the spouse and kids to the park for a couple of hours before you go to the mall and then to Wal-Mart…uh, is that really rest?

I know it is a struggle for the laity as well…when they work 7-7 jobs (no longer 9-5 anymore with commutes as they are), how does the church advocate Sabbath rest for the parishoners (I don’t usually use “laity” and “parishoners” in the same sentence much, feels “churchy”)

Are there churches who aggressively advocate Sabbath rest for their ministerial staff as well as for the congregation? It would be fun to hear more of those stories (some good personal examples already given).

Mike, how do your elders hold you accountable to resting?

-RV

Something I’ve noticed about my dad’s driving is that he is never in a hurry. Sometimes he might speed a little, but he never runs up on a stop sign or a red light, he never punches the accelerated from a stop. And it doesn’t take him any longer to get wherever he’s going. I’ve started driving like that too, and it’s amazing how much it lowers the stress level.

I would place this post in your top ten.

I vote you do a series on this subject.

Thanks for this reminder. This resonates big time with me, and living in Dallas don’t always helps. Thanks again for your post.

I also appreciate the comments on keeping the Sabbath. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, and in a small way trying to practice. (Read: Sabbath Napping.) There is not much enthusiasm for the idea of “keeping the Sabbath” in my Christian family here, so I miss out on the benefits of hearing others ideas on the subject.

I’d also ditto what lisa mcd in fl said: How can we “be still, and know that He is God”, without first learning to be still? So true!

GREAT post. I’m not sure if there is ONE answer for everyone (other than make the intentional decision to slow down), but I know that God tells me to “…Be Still and Know…”