Sunday Night

What kind of thoughts go through your head on Sunday night? Do you dread the beginning of the new week? For years and years I did. In high school, I used to pray that old prayer "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, that's one less test I'll have to take". In my college days, Sunday night heralded the end of the two days of the week I enjoyed most. Lived for. Looked forward to. And all to soon were over. I remember feeling sadder as the day wore on, knowing that it was going to be another 5 days before I got to enjoy time with my then boyfriend. He didn't really understand why I was such a drag to be with by the end of Sunday night. In fact, I am amazed that he stuck with me over those years, because I was predictably uptight by the time Sunday evening arrived.

When I entered the workforce, it was often difficult to get to sleep in Sunday nights because I would worry about sleeping in on Monday. I would lay awake for a long time, and then sleep fitfully and get up grumbling about wishing I'd had a better sleep, and why is it that when you need the sleep, sleep doesn't come. Then I would go to work and spread my bad mood around by bemoaning to fellow workers about how hard it was to start the work week again.

I had a light bulb moment about this topic last year because of something my youngest son said in his speech. He was talking about dreading Monday. How school can be a drag. And you long for the weekend the minute you wake up on Monday morning. As the speech progressed, he moved into suggestions to help you get through Mondays with more ease. One of his ideas was "Why not make Monday your Funday. Take your favorite lunch to school. Plan a video night every Monday night, or have a family games night". I have to admit, after I was finished pinching his cheeks for being so darn cute, I realized how insightful that plan was.

Dread of routine can hang over our heads like a joy-wrecking ball. We project that at any time, [but especially on Mondays] that ball is going to barrel through our lives and leave our world in a morass of monotony. We don't seize the opportunity each day affords to fill our lives with joy. It's so easy to miss the simple joys of enjoying the sunrise, to watch the passing of the seasons, or the unabashed happy dance of a child who loves the music playing, the pleasant interaction of saying 'good morning' to a fellow jogger. It takes a deliberate decision to look out for what one of my friends called "God-hunt sightings" - where you look for the hand of God in every day occurences.

We are given so many opportunities to grab joy and do a gratitude dance. Even on Mondays. As the old song says "Count your many blessings, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done". I am going to bed now, to dream of tomorrow which I have officially renamed "FUNday".

Comments

Anonymous said…
Marn,
Last night I watched a programme where a pastor motivated his church members to wear a "I won't complain" bracelet. It took some of them 8 months to get down to 1 complaint a day. This movement, as simple as its beginnings were (he had to order minimum 500 bracelets; he knew he could get rid of 250 to his members; what would he do with the other 250???). This movement has now spread to 80 countries, and he's gone through millions of these bracelets!! Sounds like you're onto something. A Funday bracelet????

The CBC announcer said that in the leadup to this Sunday Night Live, he's been wearing the bracelet 2 weeks, and he says it REALLY does make you stop and think....

One of the things that the Almighty was most displeased with in the children of Israel, was
their penchant to constant complaining... You only have to hear about someone having just retired, and they "get a diagnosis" and are given one week to live.... TO MAKE YOU STOP AND TAKE STOCK. Sorry for yelling... but sometimes we are spending our time in rushing (and not taking time to go hug our kids, as per one of your previous blogs), or we are spending lots of energy complaining, and we need a wake up call!!! Including wakeup calls like "What about making it a FunDay??" BTW: just saw a programme about a dad who made his 12 yr. old the vice-president of his company because he committed to his dad that HE would come home and wash out these special vac-seal plastic bags that are now sold in CTC, Zellers, and soon in Walmart... They are a little expensive, but are reusable and reusable and reusable. The dad complained: But who is going to wash these things out, so they CAN be reused??? And the little guy said "Dad, I'll come home from school and wash them out with you". He earned himself a vice-presidency in a company that is going gang-busters....

So I think that your DARN cute son is onto something, and I vote him in, either as pres. or vice-pres. right off the bat.!!!

Loving you...
January 21, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Anonymous said…
Marn,
BTW, you can check out this I WON't COMPLAIN BRACELET idea on CBC.ca/Sunday Night Live, just aired on January 20/08
January 21, 2008 at 11:04 AM
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