A Day at a Time · Chapter
Our Unearned Increment explained
This chapter reflects on Psalm 127:2, emphasizing that God gives to His beloved even while they sleep.
What happens
This chapter reflects on Psalm 127:2, emphasizing that God gives to His beloved even while they sleep. It offers comfort to three types of people: the worried, the disappointed, and the Christian worker, encouraging trust in God's providence beyond human effort.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This chapter serves as the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the pro…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Faith and Trust in God
Central theme: trusting God to provide beyond human effort and anxiety.
- Living in the Present
Encourages releasing worry about outcomes and resting in God's present care.
- Hope and Optimism
Disappointments are reframed as potential blessings in disguise, fostering hope.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator reflects on the psalm and offers comfort to the worried, disappointed, and worker.
- Jesus Christ
Referenced as the one for whom Christian workers serve and whose likeness is reflected in believers.
- The Lord
Implied as the giver of unearned blessings and the one to trust in sleep.
Key passages
“He giveth (to) His beloved (in their) sleep.”
God provides for those He loves even when they are not actively working.
Key verse from Psalm 127:2, reinterpreted to emphasize unearned divine gifts.
“Why so hot, little man, why so fiercely clutching all the ropes?”
Why are you so anxious and trying to control everything yourself?
A rhetorical question urging release of worry and trust in God.
“You would think, to see so-and-so shepherding his family, that there was no other providence than his own.”
Some people act as if they are the only ones caring for their family, ignoring God's providence.
Critique of overprotective and anxious parenting.
