Double Nn Exodus 20:8 KJV “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
The Lord commands us to keep the Sabbath, and make sure that it is done in its proper order. It is important for this day to remain a holy and set apart. It is essential that we complete everything we need to do prior to the Sabbath. There should not be any excuse for not being prepared or rushing before sundown. As women, we are in charge of ordering the house and part of that is being organized and timely. Here are some tips to help ease the load of Sabbath Prep Day.
1. Make a List
Having a list of what you need to do and what you need to buy keeps your tasks organized, limits the amount of thinking time between chores, and prevents you from forgetting to do necessary and important duties. It is best to make this list the night before or have a pre-made list that you can make edits to every week so that you can check off everything with ease. This way when you wake up in the morning, you know exactly what you need to do. You can hit the day running instead of becoming overwhelmed from trying to figure out what needs to be done at the last second.
2. Start Prepping the Day Before
Getting a head start on preparing for the Sabbath Day a day early minimizes stress from attempting to squeeze everything in before sundown. The mental and physical load of trying to get everything done in one day can leave you in a state of frenzy. However, if you get a little bit of the work done the day before, Sabbath Prepping can be a less mountainous task. Whether you complete the big tasks or the smaller tasks the day before, anything can help relieve the weight of the end of the week.
3. Plan and Cook Meals Before Hand
Planning out meals ahead of time allows you to discover more creative dishes. Everyone has their go to Sabbath food, but why not switch it up? However, how can you switch it up when you do not know what to cook or the ingredients to make something different. This is why brainstorming ideas a few days or even a day prior can give you a good enough window to craft a new, delicious meal for the family. Cooking in advance also allows more time for the flavors in your food to marinate. So, why not try something new and appetizing to spice up your Sabbath dinner?
4. Grocery Shop Early
Nothing is more nerve-racking than trying to get through a large grocery list before the sun goes down. Simply shopping the day before can make all of the difference. You also give yourself an opportunity to shop the next day for items you were not able to find, especially if you have to visit more than one store. Additionally, sometimes we underestimate the time it takes to unload and put up groceries. On a time crunch day, this can eat up precious daylight.
If you are not able to shop the day before, maybe you can shop early in the day. If that is not an option, then preparing a grocery list throughout the week can at least prevent the stress of rapidly searching the house for missing items or arriving to the store with no idea what you need.
5. Wake Up Before Your Husband and Kids
During the day, prepping can take two to three times longer with active company. One person might ask for food. Another person might ask you to play with them. Fights between kids might break out while your husband asks for you to iron his clothes and find his work boots. This single hectic instance can drain all of the energy you may have. Imagine the multiple more blows to your energy stores from taking care of the kids and/or working throughout the day. What energy is left for Sabbath Prep? This is why it is imperative to get a head start on cleaning, laundry, or cooking before your family wakes up.
If you are not a morning person, you can stay up late and prep the night before to get ahead of the day. If this is not the best option, then you may have to force yourself to be a morning person for this one day. Whichever method works best for you, stick to it because soon you will notice a difference in your stress levels from simply getting time to focus on everything you need to do without distractions.
6. Have A Back Up Plan
Is there just too much to get done? Do you feel too overwhelmed? Then maybe today is a takeout day. Sometimes we feel the pressure to uphold this perfect image of having everything cooked from scratch or the house spick and span. We can only do our very best. Maybe all you can do is pick up the toys and clear out the dishes. Maybe you could only muster the energy to sweep and put up the laundry.
7. Do What You Can
Ultimately, we can only do what we can. If you know you did all you could, there is no need to beat yourself up about it. We strive for perfection as we practice the righteous acts, “They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, Even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: Then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates” (Judges 5:11 KJV).
In the end, there are many ways to alleviate the weight of preparing for the Sabbath. Remember, if you are not able to do everything, have a back up plan. Then after the Sabbath assess how you could have prepared better. Did you need to wake up earlier? Did you need to do more throughout the week instead of all on one day? Whatever it is, make sure to ask the Lord to help you prepare better, write down a new strategy, and continue to improve.
