ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Another summer is coming to a close. That means the end of vacation time for many. It also indicates the beginning of the school year. Not only that but it’s a time for thoughts of harvesting and bringing in the sheaves. The oil pastel today shows a field ripe for garnering. The hue of the golden wheat is almost a foreshadowing of a totally new season. With all the ugliness in our world today, we must look at the good that’s out there. There are still those who live by the land. There are those willing to make sacrifices for their livelihood. There are those who continue to carry faith in their hearts for a loving God, who won’t let them down. Our hope must remain. Our determination comes from our Creator. Our lives depend on Him.

Sounds from the railroad tracks penetrate the stillness of night,

The hoisting of cars to be transported the next morning,

Leaves a lasting impression,

Labor never ends on the railroad,

A force which forged our nation from one end to the other,

The great workhorse for society and industry,

For almost two centuries, she has carved her way across this land,

Through mountains, over rivers, into cities and across the plains,

Linking us as a nation,

Building a country,

As with the immigrant workers who laid the tracks,

Each American serves a greater purpose when part of a team,

God established work at the beginning of time,

It is part of who we are,

We need to work,

We thrive on being useful,

When work becomes laborious and painful,

When we become frustrated and anxious.

When we want out,

Remember that this gift from God, only became that way because of one thing,

SIN,

Through that one act of disobedience, we now work by the sweat of the brow,

Cutting through the weeds of life,

Using each physical and mental ability,

Often breaking our backs or spirits because of it,

SIN,

Makes our work burdensome,

But God gives us freedom from our sin,

He gave up everything so that,

We could receive the adoption into His kingdom,

So we could inherit paradise in eternity,

Where we will continue to work,

Without the curse of sin.

SALVATION!