Yom Kippur - A Twenty-six Hour Retreat

Sundown tonight marks the beginning of Yom Kippur. In Israel, everything - and I mean everything shuts down, even Ben Gurion airport. No traffic on the streets, all shops are closed.
I was in the small moshav of Zippori on Yom Kippur.

My friend and I walked the mile up hill to the tiny synagogue for Kol Nidre. We were greeted by solemn people dressed in white. The men sat in the front rows and we women and children sat behind them. The service was  in Hebrew. But I still felt connected. We all were there for one purpose - to acknowledge that we had sinned and needed forgiveness and atonement. After the service we wished each other Tzom Kal, may you have an easy fast. 
G~d calls His people to this day every year.

It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. Leviticus 16:31

It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath." Leviticus 23:32.

Yom Kippur is like a marriage retreat.

Most are held at a fancy-schmancy hotel, or conference center. In other words, couples get away together. They leave behind the business of their worlds and meet someplace to focus on one another. Time is set aside for one purpose only - to make the marriage better.

As a believer in Yeshua, I don't have to worry about whether my name is written in the book of life. It is. The sacrificial Lamb was provided on my behalf. Once and for all time.

When my husband and I walked down the aisle, our commitment was sealed. We vowed to love only each other.

Here's the connection.

Married couples need to work on their marriage. They can't smugly go through life counting on their vows alone to get them through the daily grind together as a couple. Like the husband who tells his wife on their wedding day, "I'm telling you now that I love you. If I change my mind, I'll let you know." We need to get away from the business of life and focus on one another. Miscommunications need to be addressed. Priorities need fine tuned. It's hard work. It's uncomfortable.

Our relationship with G~d is much like a marriage relationship. It needs fine tuned. It needs maintenance.  We need time to get away and take inventory. Sure, we ask forgiveness when we know we've blown it, but do we soul search? If we're honest, we'll admit that we don't have time to really do a thorough relationship check.

And so, G~d gives His people 26 hours to get away - to retreat with Him. Sure it takes work, especially in countries that not only do not acknowledge the need for G~d, but find it quite a bother when others want a relationship with Him. It takes creativity for mommies who have children with important needs. But, if G~d considers a block of time important, should we not also? Are there ways we can carve out some precious time to get away with Him, to deny ourselves our creature comforts?

Think about it.

For my Jewish brothers and sisters - צוֹם קַל, easy fast.

Stuff

I've lived in my house for 7 years. Actually, I grew up in this house. We moved in when I was a freshman in high school. I graduated, moved to Los Angeles where I attended college and worked beyond that for a few years. Then I moved back until I got married two years later. Lots of history here.
It's a small post WW2 house - built in 1948.
I never remember grumbling about cabinet space, not enough closet space - no where to put things. And my mom and dad were collectors and pilers. Dad ran a business from the back room off the kitchen. I had my share of stuff. Lots of stuff.
Fast forward. Now hubby and I own this house. And I grumble about cabinet space and not enough closet space. Maybe it's because we downsized - our houses, not our stuff. We went from 1800 sf to 1400 sf to our present just under 1000 sf. 
We took our stuff and stuffed it into a house with my mom's and some of my dad's leftover stuff.
After we moved in, I realized there would be no way I could comfortably prep and cook in the little galley kitchen with only two electrical wall sockets and precious little counter space. But we didn't have the money to turn our house (and kitchen) into an award winning House Beautiful project. So the kitchen got a small makeover with new counters, cabinets, flooring and lighting and I now have 4, count them, 4 electrical wall sockets! And I also got a pantry and an appliance cupboard in the back room.
Which brings me to the point of my blog. Organization.
7 years ago I took my stuff and arranged it the best I could in my new cabinets. And for 7 years now I've been changing things here and things there to make it work. But as it happens, life gets in the way and things get out of order. The plastic lid fairies have taken more than their share to who knows where (I think they live in the same dimension as the sock zone). And the tower of baking dishes keeps threatening to take me down when I need the bottom casserole in the pile.
Yesterday I determined that I'd had enough. Time to get my kitchen in order. First I tackled my pots and pans and then the plasticware. No lid - no keep. Many went into the "thank you for coming" bag. Next came the serving bowls, mixing bowls, measuring cups, glass leftover containers. I was on a roll. Tomorrow it's the casserole dishes. It's kind of addicting. One cupboard or drawer calls to another.
In the Jewish calendar we are three weeks away from the month of Elul. During the month of Elul we begin the process of reflection and repentance culminating with Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. Time to go through all the closets and cupboards of our life. Time to rearrange and chuck out things we don't use, or need. Time to repair what can be fixed.
It's amazing how fresh and empowered I feel when I open up my cupboards and everything is in order.
That's how I'll feel at the beginning of Sukkot when I begin the time of celebration. Everything will be cleaned out and reordered. I'll be fresh and empowered to continue on the journey of life.