Hiking Sabbatical

“The command is "Do no work." Just make space. Attend to what is around you. Learn that you don't have to DO to BE. Accept the grace of doing nothing. Stay with it until you stop jerking and squirming.” Dallas Willard

I have described my PCT hike as a sabbatical and the more I think about it, the more I think that is a fitting description for what I am doing. The word sabbatical comes from the word Sabbath which means to rest from labor. A weekly day of rest is the most common understanding of practicing the Sabbath, but in the Bible there is also a Sabbath year (one in every seven years) that allowed the land to rest from planting, pruning, and harvesting.

It must have taken a great deal of faith to trust God to provide during the Sabbath year and I believe faith is at the heart of what God was trying to develop in us through the Sabbath in it's various forms. To rest from labor is to acknowledge God as our creator, redeemer and provider. Our trust is in Him and his provision, not in our knowledge, ability or effort. To rest is an act of faith.

I have worked hard for almost 30 years to provide for my family and save for retirement. I enjoy working and I have tried to honor God in both my work ethic and in using my talents for the Kingdom of God. When I finish hiking the PCT, I plan to return to work with the same enthusiasm and dedication. But for this time, this season, I believe God has made this hike possible and is inviting me to rest from my labor and trust him in a way that I have never experienced before. This sabbatical is a gift of time, place, and simplicity; an opportunity to experience God's presence and to renew my vision of who God is and who He wants me to be. To the praise of His glorious grace!