Sunday, October 23, 2011

And One More Word About the Importance of Respite...

I've read so much of Laura Ingalls Wilder's writing as well as the words others have written about her that I feel I know her better than I knew my own grandmother.  Her Little House books won me over when I was a third grade student at Crestview Elementary School in Merriam, Kansas, many, many years ago. As an adult I've grown to respect Laura's faith in God, her knowledge about the things that are really important in life, and the words of wisdom she wove throughout her books.  


Today I found one of Laura's quotes in a book by Dan L. White.  This quote reminds me of my last blog post, which talked about the little vacations a caregiver needs to weave into each day in order to avoid mental and emotional weariness: 
"We can take a wonderful vacation in spirit, even though we are obliged to stay at home, if we will only drop our burdens from our minds for awhile.  But no amount of travel will give us rest and recreation if we carry our work and worries with us."  Laura Ingalls Wilder, quoted in Dan L. White's Laura Ingalls' Friends Remember Her: Memories from Laura's Ozarks Home
During my devotion time it is difficult for me to drop my burdens for even a little while.  I know this grieves the Lord's heart.  Just think of a loving Father, standing with arms outstretched, ready to carry His child's heavy load.  But the little child ignores her father and stubbornly clings to the idea that she's the one who has the responsibility to carry her own burdens. 


I'm thinking today of the "vacation in spirit," as Laura calls it, that we need to take every day through prayer, praise, and Scripture.  Sometimes I feel that my devotion time is one more thing to be checked off my "to do" list.  Thinking of this time with the Lord as a mini-vacation might just help me to partake more fully of the refreshment that's available when we sit at His feet.  


Scripture:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

5 comments:

  1. "One more thing" of devotions has blessed me so much this year. I type up my Scripture highlights and put them on Facebook. There will be a binder of maybe 150 single-spaced pages of highlights by the end of the year for the entire binder.

    This time in the word has led me to enrich my prayer life as well.

    Hugs and prayers,

    Carol

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  2. Dear Linda, I just found your site. Being a caregiver is very hard to do. God bless you fro tending your mother.I sure miss mine. Smiles to you,Susie

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  3. Oh my goodness, Linda, I truly needed this so much right now!! I also love Laura!! I haven't read as much of her as I'd like to, but I do have several books about her life that I share parts of with my kids each year. I day try to do an old-fashioned day on or around Feb. 7 each year! :) Where did you find the book you took the quote from. I would love to see if I can find it to add to my collection. Ok, now to your post. :) That is such a great way for me to start thinking of my devotions. When things get busy like they have been, it does become part of the check off list instead of my special quiet time relief and release from cares. I do often try to carry my burdens myself, though that never does me any good! Thank you so much for this post! I'll be going back and referring to it often! Thank you!

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  4. Stacey, the book by Dan L. White is available at Amazon.com. I've attempted to place a link to his book's Amazon page in my post, so that by clicking on the blue title just after the quote you will be taken directly to the book's Amazon site. White is a Godly man who emphasizes the fact that Laura's wisdom came from Scripture. He's a bit hard on Rose, though, as he defends Laura from the statement someone made that Rose was the life behind the Little House books. Rose was a well known author and world traveler, and someone--I've forgotten who--said she must have been the true craftswoman behind the books, that Laura wouldn't have been able to have produced such gems on her own. He defends Laura vigorously, but really, I think that it is unnecessary for him to have done so and that Laura herself would have preferred he not say "not nice" things about her only daughter! But all in all I appreciated his compilation of quotes and wisdom from Laura.

    Stacey,and Susie and Carol too; thank you for your comments--God bless each of you today!

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  5. I really liked the quote and find it to be something we all need to take to heart... and take time for that mini-vacation with the Lord each day.

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