Dog Days

Dog Days

"Dog Days" are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In our area they usually fall between early July and early September.  The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather.

Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress.

Lazy days.  Carefree days.  Do-nothing days.  Do any of us have those?  We long for them sometimes, don’t we?

I wonder, at times, if our desire for the care-free life isn’t borne of a deeper need for peace and rest.  But what does that really mean?  Is that just ‘rest-in-the-hammock’ times?  Just chillin’ times?

Jesus said, “Come unto me… and I will give you rest”, and while that’s true, most of us gloss over the rest of what He said: “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me…”  He did, however, give a promise “and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”  Elsewhere He said, “Take up the cross and follow me.”

I’m led to believe that our peace and rest comes not from carefree, lazy, do-nothing days, but days of activity.  Learning from Him teaches us, that while we need times of spiritual and physical renewal, those should follow our times of the outpouring of ourselves. Our joy is in our activity.  Nothing feels as good as a job well done.  The old adage, busy hands are happy hands, still applies and has merit.    

There will never be any progress until our hands are busy about our Father’s business.  His business is people. Our rest?  Following Him to those He calls us to serve….  A soul-deep rest from being able to say, “I have fought a good fight.  I’ve finished my course.  I’ve kept the faith.”            

God Bless Your Efforts with Results!