Davalynn Spencer's Blog, page 10
November 5, 2023
Location, Location, Location
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
The three most important things to consider when investing in real estate are location, location, location. At least that’s what I’ve been told.
This deliberate hyperbole points out the importance of where a property is. Realtors are credited with coining this catchy phrase about a hundred years ago, but I think its origin goes back to a first-century itinerant teacher from the Middle East.
Jesus told a story about two men each building a home. One built on sand, one built on rock. We don’t know if the sand was beachfront property and the rock a high bluff. A better view might be had on the bluff, but that wasn’t the point.
The actual location was what Jesus focused on as it related to weather conditions, rain in particular.
The house built on sand washed away in a storm.
The house built on rock withstood the onslaught and remained standing.
Metaphorical, yes. But everyone lives somewhere and the rains of adversity fall in all those somewheres.
At the end of the story, Jesus explained how people could “build on the rock” and withstand the inevitable storms:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine
and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice
is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell with a great crash.”
Matthew 7:24-27
So what and where are the “words of mine” that we can put into practice for a solid foundation? They can be found in the New Testament book of Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7. It’s great reading. Especially if you’re interested in surviving the storms.
~
Location, location, location
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Georgia touched her heels to her horse’s side and trotted up beside Dave’s horse. They were heading straight for pine-draped hills that skirted a higher ridge. A ribbon of fading green ran along the edge. How she’d love to see those aspen once they turned.
Would the cabin be in the pines or lower on the grassland? Settlers and homesteaders built near a water source, but streams could have gone dry since then. The land often changed in a hundred and fifty years …
And then she saw it—before he pointed it out. Her hands tightened on her reins and her breath quickened. Maybe he wanted her to notice it, for he’d reined off to an angle so they approached the aspen grove from the east.
Only the shell remained with a roof caved in and ravaged by time, weather, and wildflowers. The cabin lay like a broken egg that once held life but now only memories. ~A Mistletoe Christmas
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October 29, 2023
Do Not Be Afraid
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Some people like to be frightened and enjoy watching horror movies or reading scary stories. Maybe it’s because they know the scenarios are not real and they feel safe and relieved after the faux fright.
Halloween is our most traditional fright night – a time when children dress up and pretend to be someone else for a while. Trick-or-treaters often fill our neighborhoods, cashing in on community candy.
There may be a few scary faces roaming our streets later this week, but in our day-to-day lives, we all deal with plenty of real-life intimidation.
A young Old Testament prophet named Jeremiah wasn’t too excited about his godly call to challenge the status quo, and called “foul,” claiming to be underage.
God told him that age had nothing to do with obedience, and He gave Jeremiah a promise we can all claim when accepting a task to which He has called us:
“Do not be afraid of their faces,
for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:8
Thank God, He is with us regardless of our age or what we face. And He is faithful to bring us through.
Can you recall an intimidating situation through which the Lord helped you? I’d love to hear what He did in your life.
~
Do not be afraid.
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If Georgia didn’t go to church, Dave would know why. If she did go to church, she’d have to find something else to look at during the sermon. And she’d have to sneak out the back door, avoid her friends, and make a run for the car. No matter what she did, she was sure to draw attention—either his or everyone else’s.
This was why one did not spend extracurricular time with one’s pastor.
“I can worship and pray here just as well as in that building.”
She put her dishes in the sink and wiped off the counter.
What was she so afraid of?
She cinched her bathrobe tighter and tromped up the stairs to change.
On her way down, she ran into the answer to her question.
Her friendship with Dave was becoming more than a simple, shared comfort. It was swirling—yes, swirling—into a deep attraction, and that scared her on two conflicting levels:
What if she lost it?
And how could she be attracted to a man other than her deceased husband of so many years? ~A Mistletoe Christmas
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October 22, 2023
The Rest of the Story
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
As an author who lacks sketching and painting skills, I often sidestep artsy remarks by confessing that the only thing I draw is a conclusion.
Joking aside, I believe this holds true for many of us. We are sometimes quick to judge, infer, or decide before we have all the facts. We pronounce yea or nay when we have only a sliver of the picture.
A perfect illustration presented itself one recent morning as my husband and I vacationed in Kentucky.
Traveling a four-lane state highway edged in rolling green hills and autumn-bronzed trees, we came upon a city policeman walking along the shoulder toward the city we’d just left. A little farther on, we passed his parked cruiser.
Nearly a mile later we saw a woman walking on the shoulder headed the same direction as the officer. And not too far past her, sat a car parked on the edge of the road.
An unusual situation at best. Was the woman walking back toward the police car hoping to find help? Had the radio gone out in the officer’s patrol car, requiring him to hike back to headquarters?
Could he not call for backup?
Had he been tailing the woman – perhaps his estranged girlfriend or wife – and changed his mind?
Had they just had a fight? Was she walking back to apologize?
Did she run out of gas, out of patience, out of time?
Did they know each other?
Why weren’t they driving?
Were both vehicles sabotaged by a bank-heist suspect, an escaped murderer, or a ten-year-old kid on a joy ride?
We’ll likely never know what was going on that day or if those two people even knew the other was out there.
It’s quite similar to situations I find myself in all the time: at a restaurant where the service is slow (because other waitstaff called off and the young single-mother college-student is doing her best to keep up). Or when I get stuck behind a man in slow motion at the grocery-store checkout (because he can’t see his credit cards through tears since the recent death of his wife who did all the shopping).
We cross paths with people like this every day, and we know little or nothing about them. Sadly, we often act like we’re the only person in the setting who is busy, hurried, stressed, late, or angry because things aren’t going our way.
We don’t know their whole story. We don’t have all the facts, we don’t see the full picture.
Jesus knew the heart of man and yet He said,
Go the extra mile.
Love your neighbor.
Pray for those who curse you.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Get the log out of your eye before plucking the splinter in another’s.
Those are challenging commands. But the more we familiarize ourselves with His story, the more strength we’ll draw from His faithfulness to help us be … different.
We don’t always get to know the rest of the story. But we get to know the story of the One who saves us all if we let Him.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2
~
The rest of the story
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At a knock on her back door, Georgia feared Dave had decided to come early. She fluffed her hair and smoothed her sweater, then opened the door.
“Hi. I hope you’re not busy.”
Kayla Ryan’s red eyes said everything, and Georgia opened her arms to the young woman, who sobbed against her shoulder.
“Come sit down. I just made a fresh pot of coffee.” Georgia grabbed a tissue box from the counter, then took two mugs from the cupboard. Honey, cream, and napkins followed.
Kayla sat down and then blew her nose. “Thank you.”
Why now, Lord? Georgia squirmed against her desire to have everything ready for Dave and her calling to comfort others with the Lord’s words. Yes, comfort. It was her purpose, and she used words to fulfill it, whether written or not. “Do you want to talk about it?”
With a stuttered breath, Kayla looked around the kitchen as if someone else might be eavesdropping. “I—I’m pregnant.” A Mistletoe Christmas
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October 15, 2023
Washed Up or Starting Fresh?
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Fifteen years ago I took my greenhorn self to a California writers conference, where I met with a well-known author for a “one-on-one.” It was the equivalent of a preschooler sitting down with a Ph.D. professor for a career pep-talk.
“What do you write?” the author asked.
I was a newbie in the fiction arena with no sense of direction about what genre I wanted to write. I’d been a journalist. I’d covered everything from my local community’s largest pumpkin, monthly school board meetings, and the annual 4-H livestock sale to fatal vehicle accidents, bank robberies, and the Columbine school shooting. I’d won awards, including one for a feature story in the Prorodeo Sports news, and I’d sold inspirational material to several Christian publications. I knew how to tell a story, but wanted to start telling my own.
However, when someone asks you what you write, you need a clear-cut answer:
Contemporary, historical, contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, legal thrillers, high-concept, Christian, general market, children’s board books, middle-grade stories, cozy mysteries, suspense, horror, sci-fi, fantasy…
You get the idea.
I had three partial manuscripts with me that day: a fictionalized children’s story about a hen that crowed (because we actually had a hen that tried to crow), a 30-day devotional book for women, and a contemporary romantic-suspense novel about a gal in a beach-side bungalow who was being stalked.
Clearly, what I didn’t have was focus.
The seasoned author looked at the hen story, handed it back, and eyed me with pity. “It’s a little late. You should have started this years ago,” or something to that effect.
I picked up my folder, said thank you, and took my thick-skinned reporter’s attitude to the next workshop on the conference agenda.
That was nineteen published books ago – all fiction but one. Four contemporary, fifteen historical. My focus has tightened somewhat, and I’m glad I didn’t let that brief interview squelch my dream or leave me feeling washed up.
Of course I’m not the only traveler in this world to hit roadblocks, and such stories encourage me. I think that’s why people read fiction. They like to see realistic characters face challenges and set-backs yet press on to win.
I have heard it said that it takes scores of encouraging words to counteract one naysayer’s comment.
This truism is found countless times is memoirs and biographies. Rising to victory in the face of difficulty is an encouraging theme.
One of my favorite biographies concerns a young Royal who had a temper, killed a guy who was mistreating someone else, and ended up a fugitive on the backside of a middle-eastern desert. He probably thought his life was over, his future sealed. It was too late for him – he’d be herding sheep the rest of his life.
God had other plans for Moses.
Another cast-off named David rocked his way into a king’s palace as a musician, where he was soon dodging spears, assassination plots, and deadly jealousy. He ended up on the throne himself, and not by his own hand.
Then there’s Peter, a world-class fisherman I wouldn’t want to face in an arm-wrestling match. He changed the world with his words because God saw beyond his limitations.
Some of us have old dreams hiding deep inside. Some of us think we’ve outlived our usefulness, our purpose.
Some of us think it’s too late because we lost our job, a relationship crumbled, or the doctor gave us bad news.
But here’s the news we need to consider: God is never caught by surprise. Our sense of purpose may change, but His plan for our life never does.
What we call “too late” could be a reboot. We get to choose: washed up or starting fresh.
Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Like Moses, David, and Peter, let’s give Him the chance to do that with our lives.
~
Are you washed up or starting fresh?
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Dave changed his jeans for a pair that didn’t have dirt in the creases around his boots, then added a vest and a ball cap.
Ruby sat on her haunches and gave him the once-over.
“What do you think?” He turned around to face the dog.
She grunted and laid down.
So much for compliments.
As he drove out of the ranch entrance, he passed a bunch of wild sunflowers making their last stand of the season. They’d grown there every summer and fall since he was a kid and would be gone in the next few days. He backed up, put the truck in park, and with his pocket knife cut a bouquet. The sunflower-stuffed thermos didn’t look half bad.
The clock on his dash said two thirty. Perfect. He didn’t want to arrive unannounced at mealtime, but since Georgia hadn’t answered his call yesterday, he figured he’d have more luck just showing up.
“Luck has nothing to do with it, Lord, I know that. Help me get my foot out of my mouth and maybe start over with Georgia. I’d hate to mess things up so badly that I lose her altogether. That is, unless this isn’t Your plan for our lives.”
He turned onto her street and his pulse double-ticked at the sight of her white Jeep in the driveway. She was probably working, but that couldn’t be helped. He had to get this weight off his chest. If she rejected him, at least he could go on with his life as he had been. Alone. ~A Mistletoe Christmas
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October 8, 2023
A New Contemporary Cowboy Romance – free for a few days!
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
It’s here – and free for a few days – my new contemporary cowboy Christmas romance.
It may seem early for a Christmas story but it’s never too early for love. Nor is it too late. See what readers are saying:
“What a poignant, precious, refreshing story of love and promise! The growing romance will linger in your memory as a widow and widower find hope and a future. Memorable characters within superb storytelling drive a story that brought tears to my eyes.” -Susan G Mathis, award-winning author of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age stories
One of the things I enjoy about being a novelist is creating background details that bring the story alive. In A Mistletoe Christmas I had great fun with my characters’ pets – Ruby and Jack. I’ve always wanted a basset hound, so I gave one to my cowboy-preacher hero and named her Ruby. Jack belongs to my heroine, but I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll leave it at that.
Pick up your Kindle copy today! And please leave a review. I’d love to know what you think!
~
No, she wasn’t sixteen, but a woman’s heart never outgrows romance. Especially at Christmas
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“Any more sights to see while we’re here?” Georgia gathered her reins and stepped up on Sodaback.
“I’ve got a view you might appreciate not too far from here,” Dave said. “We’ll ride along the edge of the aspen where a couple of low hills open to the valley. Maybe you’ll see your house.”
“Ha—I doubt that! How about the church? The steeple should stand out above all else except the water tower.”
Dave led them east, skirting the aspen until they came to a flat spot. Reining in, he turned to face the valley and Red Creek Springs.
Georgia had kept her camera around her neck, and after drawing up close to him and Buddy, she took several pictures. “You’re right. An amazing view.” She worked the long lens, then handed the camera to him. “Put the strap around your neck, then aim at the town. You might see something you recognize.”
He lifted his hat and looped the strap, knowing what he’d find. “There it is. Red Creek Springs Community Church. Red roof, steeple, and all.”
“Click the shutter.”
He took a couple of shots, adjusted the zoom lens, then turned and caught one of her. “Too close to get Soda in the picture, but it’s a good one of you.”
Surprised, she took the camera back. “Sneaky, I must say.”
He reined away and headed for the ranch. “I’ve got someone at the barn you might like to meet.” ~A Mistletoe Christmas
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October 1, 2023
Path of Life
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Of the eighteen novels and novellas I’ve written over the past twelve years, a predominant theme in my characters’ lives has been finding direction. Choosing the right path.
A few of my heroines have known exactly what they wanted and headed straight for it. But most found themselves questioning which road they should take.
I can relate with those women.
I’ve had several junctures in my life where I had to make a critical decision about my direction. Often I’d ask, “Which way, Lord? What is Your will for my life?”
The right answer always came when I stayed consistently in God’s word, soaking in His wisdom and imprinting His promises on my heart.
One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 16:11 –
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Another directional favorite is Proverbs 4:25-26 –
Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
Mark out a straight path for your feet;
Stay on the safe path.
I copied that scripture on the inside cover of my journal several years ago, unaware at the time that it was a key to the next few months. If I had looked more at what the Lord had laid before me and less at what was off the path, I would have done better and avoided painful pitfalls.
It was a hard way of proving that God knows what He’s talking about. Yet, in His mercy, He rescued me.
In my upcoming book, A Mistletoe Christmas, both of my main characters ask God for direction at a time in their lives when you’d think they’d know just what to do. They are experienced and seasoned, yet they understand that it is never too early or too late to seek God’s plan and stay on the path of life.
~
Stay on the path of life.
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Coming soon – contemporary cowboy romance
“But it’s God’s business, after all,” Dave said, “and it’s His will that matters most, not what I think I want.”
Georgia most definitely agreed with him and had come to that conclusion many times in her life, particularly since her husband had passed.
“It’s a risky thing to say ‘Your will be done.’” Dave spoke to the tree, but when he turned and looked at Georgia, she knew it was a double-edged message meant for her as well as himself.
“Yes, it is,” she answered softly. “It requires trust.” ~A Mistletoe Christmas – sweet contemporary cowboy romance
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September 24, 2023
Unattractive Brokenness
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Several years ago I covered a local craft show for the newspaper and was captivated by the work of several lapidarists.
One man displayed not only his beautiful, finished products but also rough stones – common rocks I might have kicked out of the way on a hiking trail. With my untrained eye, I saw no potential in them at all.
When I asked how he recognized a true gem among thousands of plain rocks, he gladly shared his secret: “You can’t tell what it is unless it’s broken.”
The weight of his remark nearly buckled my knees.
“It’s got to be broken or be a rainy day,” he said. When the sun hits the wet or broken rock just right, that’s when one can see what it really is.
For the lapidarist, recognition is only the beginning. The skilled artist will cut, polish, and perhaps engrave the unappealing stone, transforming it into a beautiful work of art.
Such results require the touch of a master’s hand, one who sees what can be.
How often have we felt like broken things tossed aside and ignored by those who pass? How often have we shivered and cringed beneath a relentless, emotional torrent?
When the Master Artisan bends down and picks us up, He knows what we can be and claims us in our raw and unattractive brokenness. He knows our original purpose, and His plan takes into account every kick, assault, and storm. There is nothing He cannot fashion into beauty.
Imagine what would happen if we entrusted our stony hearts to His loving hand.
And you are living stones that God
is building into his spiritual temple.
1 Peter 2:5 NLT
Recognize a true gem.
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~
Today Ella intended to relish every minute, burning the images onto her mind’s eye for review on the long train ride back to Chicago.
Her mood dipped on that note, and she squeezed the mare into a gentle lope, leaving the depressing thought behind. Cale stayed with her, holding Doc back in his long-legged reach. He could well outpace her, but she sensed a race was not the intention, though she wasn’t certain of what his intention was.
She knew only that she trusted him completely and would miss him desperately—the man who had so roughly yanked her from certain injury or death, persistently prodded her to ride again, and subtly charmed her with his cowboy ways. Unrefined but strong, capable but caring, he had patched a hole in her heart whether he knew it or not.
Perhaps Nana had been right all along—life was a collection of mended tears and tatted edges. Wounds healed over and beautified in the process. ~A Change of Scenery
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September 17, 2023
Stay Connected
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Staying connected today has never been easier, thanks to technology.
And it’s never been harder.
There’s too much going on. In fact there’s so much going on – so much technological noise – that we can miss the more important connections in our lives. Like those with real people.
Staying connected requires extra effort if we don’t want circumstances to pull us away from what we value.
Reconnecting takes even more effort. And sometimes, pride gets in our way.
The famous parent-child story in Luke 15 shows the effort made on both sides of a negative situation. Pride could have destroyed their relationship, but neither individual allowed that to happen. The son returned to his father; the father ran to his son.
Most of us have someone in our life we need to reconnect with – family members, old friends. God.
Let’s make the effort. It’s so worth it.
Filled with love and compassion … Luke 15:20
~
Are you staying connected?
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Caleb bypassed Main Street and pointed Rooster toward the river. If someone else hadn’t beaten him to it, he’d bed down where he’d spent the previous night.
Campfires flickered in the trees along the bank, and cook smoke made his empty stomach groan. Laughter and happy voices floated downstream.
He grunted, begrudging such people their homeless pleasures. Or maybe they weren’t homeless. Maybe a campsite by the river was home enough if shared with family—like Springer Smith and his folks.
The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.
Like a red-hot coal, the phrase scorched Caleb’s thoughts. He didn’t miss the irony of having more in common with Christ now than he had all those months at the parsonage. The Women’s Society hadn’t let him miss many meals.
A moonless night shrouded the river, and he settled for an unfamiliar clearing when he saw that his spot had indeed been taken. He hobbled the horses, tied them together, and looped a lead rope around his saddle horn. At least he’d feel it if someone tried to steal them. Or he’d be trampled to death by his startled mounts.
The open fire warmed his face and feet and offered an odd companionship, another voice to counter that of the river, making him feel not so alone. The remains of his jerked beef teased his stomach into true hunger, and he drank several tin cups of water from the cold river. Glittering stars again filled the sky, reminding him that not many such nights remained before storms gathered against the mighty Rocky Mountains. ~Loving the Horseman – Book 1 of The Cañon City Chronicles.
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September 10, 2023
Perspective and Grandparents Day
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I have lived long enough to grow perspective. It’s like looking back after a long walk or drive, and seeing your starting place from a completely different viewpoint.
That kind of perspective comes only with distance, age, or experience.
In my young-adult life, my prayers and favorite Bible verses focused on reminding God what I wanted and thought I needed. They sounded like, “Please, please God, oh please give/let/make/take …”
Years later, through times of deep sadness, I focused on scriptures that strengthened me and encouraged me. A close friend told me to find “handles” in God’s word. Verses I could get ahold of and hang on to.
And now, I’m among people who often say, “If I’d known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of my teeth/weight/finances.” But I’ve also noticed that my prayers and favorite passages have changed. There is more thanking than asking.
“Your will be done” is voiced more often now and rings with a deep undertone of knowing God will get it right even if it’s not what I wanted.
Perhaps this new understanding is the connection between so many children and their grandparents—between those who are open to suggestions and those who have been there, done that, got the prayer scars on their knees. Those warriors know things. They know that life is often hard, but they’ve come out the other end of the valley. They’ve seen God’s faithfulness, and they are there urging the young ones to “find a handle in God’s word and hang on.”
This is not to say that parents can’t do the same thing, but parents are busy raising those kids. They are in a different time of life, yet blessed are the children whose parents live out their faith day-to-day.
However, so often the faith-talkers are the grandparents. They carry around that growth on their heart called perspective.
September 10 is Grandparents Day in the US. Let’s acknowledge our grandparents for the lives they’ve lived and the wisdom they’ve shared. They’re not perfect, but they have battle scars more valuable than perfection.
If you don’t have grandparents that you can visit or call, find someone to fill in for them. Nursing homes are full of forgotten souls who have lived long, rich lives. Or perhaps you have an aunt, uncle, or neighbor you could honor. And if these people in your life haven’t made the best of choices, find opportunity to tell them you love them and that Jesus loves them even more.
Watch out for perspective. It is a priceless gift that grows when you’re not looking.
~
I remember your genuine faith,
for you share the faith that first
filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice.
And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
2 Timothy 1:5
Grow perspective
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Discouraged, Martha sank into the leather chair and faced her sister-in-law. Not long after Livvy and Whit married, Martha had left for school. She’d not had much chance to get to know her brother’s wife, and she steeled herself for an inquisition.
Instead, a kind smile settled in Livvy’s eyes and she said nothing but simply waited, unhurried and unflustered.
Martha sucked in a broken breath. “I have no life.”
The declaration informed Martha herself as well as Livvy. She’d not faced it head-on, but as she sought to explain, she realized the depth of her problem.
“I have no husband, no children, no substance.”
Livvy folded her hands on her apron and looked out the window over Martha’s shoulder. Her yellow hair reminded Martha of her deceased husband, Joseph. They could have been siblings.
“I am not surprised you feel that way.” Livvy took in the same ranch land that Martha had regarded earlier. “When I first moved here, I was running away from the mundane life of a preacher’s daughter entombed in a city. I longed for something else, I just didn’t know what.”
Her gaze shifted to Martha. “Until I saw the ranch and your brother.”
A reactionary huff. “You knew Whit when we were all children.”
“Not the Whit he became as a grown man.”
Martha still considered him an overbearing big brother, though she’d tried to cut him free of that image.
“But it was more than that.” Livvy continued. “I took care of Pop, fed the crew here, tended to the garden and chickens and canning and cooking. I had a sense of purpose and felt needed. Like I belonged.” Her focus returned to the window. “And I had your mother’s encouragement to trust the Lord with my heart and stop trying to figure things out on my own.”
Shame bent over Martha and breathed heavily down her neck. She’d not listened enough to her mother’s counsel. Usually she bristled against it.
“I know you see her differently than I.” Kindness softened Livvy’s laugh. “I certainly don’t view my own mother with the same regard, and for that I confess my sin. It’s often difficult to see a parent’s wisdom when you know their weaknesses so well.”
Martha’s back eased, the tension in her shoulder lessened. Whit had made a good choice for a wife. ~Romancing the Widow, winner of the Will Rogers Gold Medallion for Inspirational Western Romance
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September 3, 2023
Give It a Rest!
Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Some of you will remember the not-too-distant past when Labor Day signaled the end of summer and the beginning of school.
Okay, maybe that was longer ago than we care to admit. However, Labor Day still signals the end of summer (even though we technically have about three more weeks), as well as family barbecues and retail-sales events that have us scouring stores, whether brick-and-mortar or online.
Created in 1894, the federal holiday originally celebrated the contributions and achievements of American workers on the first Monday of September, creating a three-day holiday. A good thing. But some of us work harder getting ready to celebrate the day off than we do on a regular day.
Taking a day off is nothing new, and Americans were not the first to call for a break. That honor falls to our loving God. Here are a couple of references to check out:
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9)
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done “(Genesis 2:2)
The Bible also speaks to overworking:
“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy” (Isaiah 55:2).
“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness” (Proverbs 23:4).
“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves” (Psalm 127:2).
However, God does not frown on hard work, and He has a few things to say about that too:
“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate” (Proverbs 31:31).
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).
All in all, it seems that God is telling us to keep things in balance. On this coming Sabbath/Sunday/gathering-for-worship weekend, why don’t we give it a rest, giving ourselves a rest as well. And while we’re at it, let’s give God all the credit for blessing us so much.
~
Give it a rest!
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Mary picked up the glass of water on the nightstand and took a drink. “The light grew and as it grew, it flickered. I knew immediately what was happening and could think only of dousing the flames. I grabbed two pails and ran to the pump. The fire was in the corner stall at the back of the barn. I poured several buckets of water over it, but it wouldn’t go out. It spread, as if following a path, and quickly climbed the wall.”
Mary’s breath caught and she closed her eyes against the vision.
Helen touched her arm. “You don’t have to tell me anymore, honey. Just rest for a while. You can tell us later.”
Mary set the glass on the stand and shook her head. “I kept filling the buckets. They got heavier and heavier, and the flames crawled higher and spread across the hay loft. I couldn’t stop it—I couldn’t stop it.”
She fell against the pillows at her back, breathless. “Then Hugh was there, whirling me away from the flames. He wouldn’t let go but backed us away from the barn, and we stood there watching it burn.”
She fought to hold in the sobs.
Helen stood over her and smoothed her hair. “Sleep, child. Give yourself a chance to rest. Everything will be all right. It always is.” ~Hope Is Built Colorado Book Awards finalist
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