Page 205 has been a day of rest in an attempt to overcome the weariness from yesterday’s 14+ hour workday.  With nearly 12 hours of that spent swinging a mop putting down floor finish, I thought my back and arms would be the main issue I would be dealing with today.  Nope, they don’t bother me.  The bigger issue is the mental fog that those long hours put on me, especially when I’ve not yet come back fully from the weight of my niece’s death.  The sad part is that I know better.  I often know when I’ve exceeded what my body can physically, mentally, and emotionally take but I can’t seem to walk away when I reach that limit if there is work that needs done and others are expecting me to do.  Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often anymore and I eventually get through it as God restores and refreshes me from the inside out.

My morning started somewhat early as I was checking on a free book promotion I had tried to set up late last night.  With my latest writing project, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For The Journey Home”, becoming available on Amazon in print and Kindle versions, I wanted to offer the Kindle version free in memory of my niece to all who would want it.  Amazon gives me a limited number of days that I can offer the Kindle version on a free promotion that costs me nothing and the “buyer” nothing.  I am somewhat surprised that my Facebook promotion of the offer has 15,000 views, but there has only been 12 people take advantage of the free Kindle book so far.  If you’ve not gotten your copy and would like one, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IPEB6IM.  The free offer is limited to 3 days — July 23, 24, and 25.

After I worked out the bugs in the book promotional offer, I grabbed my camera and went out to sit on the porch swing while it was still somewhat cool.  My first photo was all clouded over and while the effect looked kind of cool, I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t a sharp image.  After a quick look at the end of the lens, I discovered that bringing my camera from the air-conditioned basement to the humid porch had caused the lens to fog over.  After a quick cleaning of the fog, I shot this beautiful yellow rose and bud with the sharpness I had expected.  

Throughout the morning I would check on Susan as she wasn’t eager to get up and start the day.  Even the enticement of our Saturday morning zoo trip wasn’t enough to get her out of bed.  I decided she probably needed the rest as much as I did as she seems to be such a reflection of me in so many ways.  So while she rested, I rested.  When she finally got up around 11:30, I headed out to get the pellet grill out and ready to fix lunch.  The heat and humidity about melted me, making me think passing on the zoo trip this morning turned out to be a good decision.  I was out of bacon so we had to settle for mushroom cheeseburgers today but a later trip to Sam’s Club restocked my bacon supply for future needs. 🙂

I pray that you and I would learn to recognize the signs that God has created within us as warnings that we are in need of rest.  I pray that we would be mindful of the rest that others need.  I pray that we would seek true rest and refreshment of spirit through time spent with God, just being with Him without having to “do” anything.  I pray that when life “fogs over” on us, we would turn to God for clarity and sharpness as individuals created in His image.