Grateful for People Who Work
Happy Labor Day
Ray and I went out of town for a few days last week to spend a joyful time with one of our daughters and her family. During our visit and on our way to and fro, we had several opportunities to stop at various retail businesses—you know, places that sell ice cream and hamburgers and things that grandchildren enjoy—and to play these grandchildren’s first game of mini-golf.
We saw the same kinds of signs on doors that you are also getting used to seeing, signs explaining that service might take longer than usual because the business is shorthanded and/or that we might not be able to have the exact choices we would like to have.
I found myself admiring the people who were working. As you know, I enjoy photography. I have long taken pictures of people I see working. Some day I would like to make our grandchildren a photo book of people working.
On this Labor Day, I am especially grateful for people who work. We all depend on the work that other people do. Here are a few examples of working moments I have seen. Between the photos are some of the Bible’s teachings about work and its value.
May the kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
When you eat the fruit of the labor of your hands,
You will be happy and it will go well for you.
Psalm 128:1-2
The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy hand will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:24
The soul of the lazy one craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made prosperous.
Proverbs 13:4
In all labor there is profit,
But mere talk leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23
The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor,
producing with his own hands what is good,
so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.
Ephesians 4:28
As a homeschooling mama, you have the opportunity to train up children who are:
- well-educated,
- able to learn necessary skills, and
- willing to work for the good of themselves, their families, and others.
Whatever you do, do your work heartily,
as for the Lord and not for people,
knowing that it is from the Lord
that you will receive the reward of the inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Colossians 3:23