The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-07-25
the birds greet them. and the grass

creator, even While an unbeHeVlng
world was turning from Him in self
seeking blindness! Rest for the body
is needed, and it can best be found
where the Lord leads apart for little
while, and where we can hear Him
say: 81 am come that ye might have
life, and that ye might have it more
abundantlv.
Enlargement for the Soul.-"The
groves were Gods first temples" and
how the soul has chance to expand as
it goes afield with its Lord in the
early morning. Perfect vacation rest
must include enlargement of the soul.
The wayside well, the blooming lilies
of the field, the twittering sparrows,
the ripening fields of grain, the mus
tard seed, the barren fig tree, the
field of wheat and tares, the focks
feeding on the hillside, the vine-clad
slopes of Mount Olivet, all were the
mediums through which the Lord
bore home to the hearts of His disci-
pies the spiritual lessons of which
they stood in need. And Nature to-
day is just as faithful a medium of
conveying to the human heart the
Heaven-sent message. The time of the
vacation rest is when Nature ought to
find us in our most teachable mood,
even as the summer clothes her in her
most attractive dress and makes her
a most willing and faithful teacher.
AS we withdraw from the busy activ-
ity of the work-a-day world, we then
have time for reflection. That little
bird in the leafy tops of the tree I'M
der which we swing in restful ease in
our hammock can teach us of Fa-
theirs love and care, for mot spar
row falleth to the ground without
your Father The other day after
a severe thunderstorm, while hurried
ly walking to the Lords house, was
suddenly halted by the sight of poor
little dead and bedraggled sparrow ly-
ing at my feet. Only one little spar
row, with hundreds and thousands
about through the city's streets twit-
tering and gathering their daily food
and finding shelter for themselves and
their little broods, and yet here was
the tender thought of the Almighty
God of Heaven, the Heavenly Father,
following that little bird as it falls
lifeless to the ground. 1 might not in
uuIudn NlSuOlu anu SCll7SSShlnS
come face to face with the thought
of God, but here is the little bird at
my feet mutely testifying in its death
to loving Heavenly Father, who was
mindful of it, and if He cares for the
little birds and clothes the lilies Of the
field, how much more will He care for
and clothe me? 1 tenderly placed the
little dead bird amidst the yielding
grasses at the roadside and continued
on my way. If Gods thought was for
that little bird in death, and He pro-
vided for it daily while in life, how
much more would He feed His flock
gathering in the church yonder?
As the flowers and the birds and
the ripping waters of the lake spoke
their lessons to the hearts of the dis
ciples on that morning how it must
have prepared them for the evidence
of Gods love and care IS He feeds that
vast multitude with the few loaveS
and fishes! Their hearts made ten
der by Natures wooing to receive
the larger lesson of Gods miraculous
power! Do you know, dear friend,
that if during your vacation rest you
will sit at the feet of Nature and
humbly learn her secrets and hear
her testify of the Heavenly Father
who careth for you, your eyes will
be opened to see the miraculous work
ings of the Spirit of God on the hearts
of men, and you will find yourself
longing to become the willing chan
mel through which God can pour His
power and His blessing upon the
needy world? And so the enlargement
of the soul under the expanding touch
of Nature will open up new channels
of service.
New Channels of Service.-Had the
disciples remained behind to serve
that needy multitude in the weari-
ness of their own bodies and their
human limita tions they would have
failed, miserably failed, and in dis
enlargement, perhaps, given up their
Christian service altogether. But
Christ calls them apart for awhile,
and when they are refreshed, behold,
the multitude, which has skirted the
shores of the lake in Its eagerness to
be near the Lord, is once more before
them and an unexpected opportunity
presents itself for serving them. In
obedience to the Lords command they
seat the motley throng in companies
that they may be better served; then.
taking the loaves and fishes, over
which have been spoken the words of
blessing by the Lord. they pass around
breaking the ioaves and fishes and
dealing out beautifully and yet always
with an armful to give to the hun
gry soul just beyond. Here is the
lesson for you and for me. The per-
feet vacation rest opens up new chan
nels of service, gives us new oppor-
tunities of helping those about us
and the needy ones left behind when
we went on our summer outing.
Many a servant of the Lord Jesus
Christ has found in the quiet hours
of the season of rest the solution to
problems which have veXed him sore
during the heat of battle. As the body
has become rested and the soul has
expanded under Natures touch, clear
er vision has come, and later the OPP
portunity has presented itself to feed
the hungry soul with the bread which
Christ has placed in our hands. Many
a soul which has resisted the entreaty
of the face-to-face appeal has been
touched by some token of remem-
brance or a penned message from the
one who has been called apart for
awhile by the Lord for vacation rest.
The vacation rest need not be the
DEVILS opportunity except as we by
our careless indifference allow it to
become such. Learn this secret, and
as the Lord calls you apart during the
summer days for the vacation rest
find that perfect rest which comes