Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.
-Exodus 20:9-10
I knew this book would be challenging, not in the sense that Scripture always challenges me, but in the assumptions of what it means to be a man.
“What kind of work do you do?”
I don’t have a good answer. I pretend that home educating my sons is “work,” but it doesn’t feel like it and it doesn’t fit the assumptions of the question.
My two favorite places to go when I don’t have a good answer are God and the dictionary. When I’m impatient for my prayers to be answered, I think about my words and make sure I’m asking the right question.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of “work”:
This is the way I was built. God gave me a relatively high feminine energy in a masculine body to be a single dad. He gave me a dominant masculine energy to be worthy of my late wife’s trust that I would stay a steadfast father though any storm.
My work is my calling. It is exceptionally difficult to rest when the work is this rewarding. I pause throughout most days and thank God. Devoting an entire day to worship is a worthy goal.
Today will be close. We are camping by a lake. No plans, lots of quiet. Among the trees is where I first experienced the Holy Spirit and still where I find it easiest to feel the overwhelming beauty of God’s Love.
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