THE GRATITUDE OF 'OFF'

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 147

If you caught my sermon this morning, you probably noticed I was a bit “off.” Drained is more like it—and I have a four-year-old Boxer named Arlo to thank for it.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Jason, just kick him off the bed.” Clearly, you’ve never tried to move seventy pounds of "dead-weight" Boxer. He defies every known law of physics except gravity, anchoring his hind-end to the mattress like he’s bolted down.

So, instead of a restful night, I spent my evening being used as a human kick-bag while sharing my pillow with a biological entity that is definitely not my wife. I awoke feeling less like a refreshed leader of a congregation and more like I’d gone twelve rounds in a dryer.

I’d love to tell you a long shower and 24 ounces of high-octane caffeine fixed the problem, but I’d be lying. Like a good sailor after a questionable night in a foreign port, I mustered the energy and preached my guts out anyway. But once the fellowship ended and the "pressing the flesh" was done, I beat a retreat home to my recliner.

Since then, I’ve done absolutely nothing worthwhile. I’ve let my brains effectively fall out of my ears while consuming hours of “unexplained phenomenon” content on YouTube. I’ve gone down rabbit holes so deep I’m starting to wonder if the dog is actually an alien plant sent to monitor my sleep cycles. I even threw in some John Bevere for a "Christian twist" just to keep the algorithm on its toes.

Most days, I’m a "go-go-go" kind of guy. I bet you are, too. We live in a culture that treats us like AI—expecting us to be "on" 24/7, processing, producing, and performing. But today, I hit the wall. Hard. I just wanted to sit in my sweats and let my proverbial brainwaves flatline.

I call it “The Gratitude of Off.”

I wonder if God orchestrates these "brain-leak" days on purpose? It makes sense. He did, after all, create the Sabbath. As Mark 2:27 says,

“The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” 

God knew we’d need to re-coop so we can tackle the next mission. He knew that sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is admit you’re running on fumes and stop trying to be profound.

I’ve beaten the drum of Sabbath rest before, so I won’t give you a encore performance tonight. But as I bang this out, I’m genuinely grateful for the space to just be... useless.

Tomorrow is Monday. We all know what that means: more adventures, more work, and whatever else God brings across my path. But until that sun comes up, do yourself a favor: let your brains fall out a bit. Thank God for the grace to hit the power switch and just shut yourself off.