I was sitting in a downtown coffee shop Sunday morning, taking some time to read before I walked over to my church. One interaction I observed between strangers led me to write it down on the nearest napkin: man gave up his seat for a couple of friends. This wasn’t what struck me. What impacted me was when another stranger walked up to the man, calling him kind and considerate. It was a moment of sweet encouragement and kindness–something you wouldn’t likely see on a Monday morning at a Starbucks. There is something about a Sunday morning that offers that atmosphere to us.

Over the past several years, Sunday has become my favorite day of the week. As my life has gotten busier and more hectic, it is the slowness of  Sunday that reminds me of who I am, and why I am. 

Rest is holy. It affords us the space to reconnect with ourselves and others, and ultimately makes our work more meaningful through the perspective gained in a restful reflection. On the alternative side, rest gives us the chance to regroup, and examine our priorities and what matters. “It’s easy to confuse a lot of activity with a purposeful life,” writes Bob Goff, one of my favorite authors.

After my morning coffee, I walked over to church, another one of my favorite places of reflection and celebration, where I met and sang with friends and family. The rest of the day included brunch, a nap, a long run and quality time spent with people I care about. I realize that these are the moments that matter to me most, to be engaged with the people I care about, without a time crunch, without a scheduled block in my planner. Thank God for Sundays.

 “Being engaged is a way of doing life,” Goff also wrote, “a way of living and loving. It’s about going to extremes and expressing the bright hope that life offers us, a hope that makes us brave and expels darkness with light. That’s what I want my life to be all about – full of abandon, whimsy, and in love.”

It’s my prayer that I don’t get so caught up in the busyness and constant activity while neglecting the parts of my life that matter the most–that matter eternally more than any job or homework assignment.

Franklin Norton can be contacted at [email protected].