The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-08-21

up the dropped work before their
heads are full of plans for future
rest and recreation, and they get
ready to let go again. Keep busy in
the work of the Lord; don't think so
much of your weary body as you do Of
the great need all about you, and even
while you are telling the Lord about
the work in which you are SO much in
terested, He will bid you come apart
for needful rest. And 24-hour vaca-
tion to which the Lord leads you will
bring more refreshing to the body
than month of self-appropriated
idleness and change.
A night with the Lord on the water
and walk with Him through the
fields in the early morning before the
crowds are again pressing about Finn
can put renewed strength into those
weary muscles, can quiet the throb Of
that aching head, can send new and
vigorous life throbbing through every
vein and artery of your being.
Enlargement for the Soul.-"The
groves were Gods first temples" and
how the soul has chance to expand az
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 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 aotiv-
ity of the work-a-day world, we then
have time for reflection. That little
bird in the leafy tops OF the tree un-
der which we swing in restful ease in
our hammock can teach us of Fa-
ther's love and care, for mot . SPAR
row falleth to the ground without
your Father"
AS the flowers and the birds and
the rippling 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 as 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 meE, 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 limitations they would have
failed, miserably failed, and in dis
couragement, 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 loaves and fishes and
dealing out bountifully and yet always
with an armful to give to the hum
CRY soul just beyond. Here is the
lesson for you and for me. The per-
feet vacation rest opens up new cham
nels Of service, gives us new oppor-
tunities Of helping those about ~
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 op-
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 entreatr
of the face-to-face appeal has been
touched by some token of remem-
brance or a penned message from tho
one who has been called apart for
awhile by the Lord for vacation rest.
The vacation rest need not be the