Labor Day

Labor Day is a national holiday dating back to the late 1800’s and is now a day celebrating organized labor, and this holiday also marks the end of the summer season. I had heard for years that you aren’t supposed to wear white after Labor Day, but I never knew why…so I researched it. This old tradition goes back to the late Victorian era, where it was a fashion faux pas to wear any white clothing after the summer officially ended on Labor Day. Although this tradition isn’t really followed anymore, white indicated you were still in vacation mode at your summer cottage.
My family and I chose to take advantage of our day off to spend time together. We enjoyed relaxing in our Eno hammocks at Tannehill State Park, observing the lego exhibit at the Riverchase Galleria, watching the highly recommended and inspiring movie, “War Room,” and then grilling juicy burgers for dinner on the patio. It was a great day, but the greatest part is what happened when we got home. Our boys were extremely quiet and went “missing” when we arrived home. We thought they had simply gone upstairs and had fallen asleep, but we decided to check on them. What we found was a parent’s dream…they were not missing. They were not asleep. They were not planning next summer’s vacation. They were planning an intentional attack on Satan.
They had moved all of their clothes and stuff out of one section of their closet and had created their own “War Room.” They had taped short term and long term goals to their closet wall, specific prayer requests and what they needed God’s help as they solicited an all out attack on Satan. There was nothing in that closet except an open Bible, pens to check off God’s answers to prayers, a chair facing the prayer wall and two very focused boys; one inside the closet praying and the other outside the closet. I asked Jackson what he was doing outside the closet. He said, “Tyler needs some one on one time with God –I’m holding him accountable until it’s my turn. Dad, Satan isn’t getting our family. Not this day. Not any day. God is in charge.”
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6 NIV)