Such a Simple Thing

Finding Sanctuary ~ Day 12

I have a favorite chair in my house. It’s in the corner of my bedroom, where I’ve created a comfy little reading nook. I can easily spend hours there, reading and writing.

There was a season in my life, however, when I worked long days sitting behind a computer screen, writing and editing, and I really enjoyed it. But I was also under multiple deadlines at one time, so I spent an inordinate amount of time sitting in order to meet those deadlines.

Writing, of course, is a rather sedentary activity that doesn’t require any physical activity at all. It wasn’t a very healthy season. I knew I needed to get up and move more. I also knew I needed a way to re-engage with the people around me after spending so much time “inside my head.”

In Day 12 of Sanctuary, I explained some of the historical context for why Paul specifically mentioned that we should work with our hands. This will look differently for each of us. For me, I have become very intentional these days to get up from my computer desk every hour. I will fold the laundry or water the plants. I will wash dishes or maybe chop vegetables in preparation for that evening’s dinner.

It has surprised me how much these simple tasks with my hands have helped me re-engage with the physical world around me on a daily basis. It’s been a good way to balance my time in front of a screen.

I also like to play with fabric. I’m not a great quilter, but I’ve discovered it’s deeply satisfying to spend time doing something as simple as ironing and cutting and sewing.

As the world around us delves ever deeper into the matrix of digital media, and especially as Artificial Intelligence offers an easy way to engage with a disembodied entity, I think it’s more important than ever that we find ways to embrace the analog world and embodied relationships. And it’s striking that Paul said as much over two thousand years ago.

Maybe crafting isn’t your thing. I get it. Cooking definitely isn’t mine. But do find ways that you can physically engage with the world around you, working with your hands. It’s such a simple thing, and perhaps there is a way you might serve others with those amazing hands God has given you.

Shalom.

Denise

A Few Notes…

*You can access the 31-day journal for free as a PDF at this link:

*Join me each day in July as I reflect on the book Sanctuary — a 31-day devotional to cultivate a quiet heart in a noisy and demanding world. You can grab your own copy at this link:

*And as always, no part of this newsletter — nor anything I have ever published — has been made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) or ghostwriters. All of my words, including any accidental typos, are my own, except for when I quote others with appropriate citations and links.