A Time of Refreshment

View of our back garden. 

 

I stood looking at the landscape around me. The snowbanks are several feet high. It is quiet in this season of winter storms and frigid temperatures. As I looked at the back garden of our property, I noticed a glittering of sunlight all over the snow.  It brought me such a sense of peace and gratefulness for all of the beauty the Lord has created for us.

In the autumn months, the leaves cover the ground. They make a bed of protection over our strawberry garden. This is later covered with snow, which quietly remains throughout the entire winter. It tells me that my garden is sleeping. It is a time for rest and refreshment.

Indoors, there seems to be some isolation. We cannot go out very much. We must find projects and activities to occupy the months of being nearly snowed-in for much of the time.  This is a time to think of others - to sew, to knit, to bake, to write encouraging letters to those who are alone.  It is a time to talk on the telephone, sharing comfort and news with family in other areas.  Most of all, it is a time to dwell on beautiful verses of Scripture, to contemplate the blessings of being a child of God.  The singing of old hymns and the reading of books that bring spiritual nourishment will bring rest to weary, restless hearts.  It is a peaceful time of staying at home.

Many of us are enduring storms and freezing weather. We are working hard to stay warm, to stay cozy, and to keep a sense of trust and joy in our hearts. We pray to the dear Lord for daily guidance with a child-like faith. We ask for provision and protection. We also ask for courage and strength to endure all the common trials of life.  We can do all that He asks because this is the very purpose of life - to serve the precious Lord, as we shine a bright light of goodness and kindness out onto a very cold and dreary world.  It is a privilege to have such a calling. 

As we tidy the house, do the mending, manage the kitchen, and keep the fires of warmth throughout the home, know that this work is a very special honor.  To bring rest and refreshment to family and guests as we do the work of homemaking is a beautiful gift to be freely given each day.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Beautiful Living - Feminine Grace. 

What it Takes - Old Fashioned Duty of a Homemaker.

Teaching Manners to grandbabies - Tea Time - The Importance of Formal Ceremony at Home. 

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Help For Homeschooling:

Seeking a Thrifty and Simple Life: Encouragement for Christian Homeschooling by Mrs. White

Paperback, 112 pages

As you read this book, I hope you get a sense that, no matter what is going on in the world, every home can be a homeschool.