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Happy Labor Day! I hope you enjoy a day off work! Labor Day is celebrated today in both Canada and the United States. In 80 countries, it is celebrated on May 1st. In the US, the exact origins of the holiday have a bit of dispute. It arose from the labor union movement during the late 1800s. Either Matthew Maguire of the Central Labor Union, or Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor, proposed the idea. It appears the first parade was held in September of 1882. Five years later, Oregon was the first state to officially recognize the day. It became a holiday for federal workers in 1894. It took a few more decades for all US states to recognize the holiday.*
Work is a vital part of human life. When God created people, he gave them a task. Genesis 1:27-28 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” (NIV)
These verses are a mandate from God to care for the earth and make it productive. Stop today and marvel at the work of people who have created so much, and at the God who created them!
*”Labor Day,” Wikipedia, last updated August 6, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day.
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.