Prayer, Purpose, and Getting Paid: Reflections on Work (1)

Most people my age have worked fulltime (Monday to Friday, 9 to 5) for years.  Actually, probably years and years!  This is not the case with me.  I am just hitting 18 months of it. Since most of my work has been in Christian ministry, my hours were never 9 to 5 and the majority of the time, I was part-time.

Why am I telling you this?  Well, because I have decided that over the next few weeks to think more about work.  It has been a challenge to adjust to a fulltime work schedule.  It has also been a challenge and blessing to work in a setting that is not overtly Christian.  I feel like it is time to give this aspect of my life some prayerful attention and you get to listen to my processing.
Actually, I would love it if you gave me your input along the way as well either through replying to my blog (if you get it as an email) or commenting online at celtj.blogspot.com

I also want to ask you to pray for me with regards to my work.  Currently, I work at a women's shelter doing a range of activities including counselling, event planning, and donation management (read: hauling furniture).  I ended up in this field very unexpectedly.  Almost 5 years ago, my friend suggested I apply as casual staff which I did because we needed a bit more money to pay for the "cream" in life.... like school trips and kids' activities.  3 years later, I was in need of a more consistent income than casual work provided and the opportunity for a 2 year term (fulltime) came up.  I had no intentions of applying for it but my husband help me see that this was an opportunity the Lord was giving me.  So, the day the applications closed, I dropped off my resume and later that week found out that I would be starting fulltime a month later.

It has been such a mixture of blessing and challenge!  I have learned so much about domestic violence, boundaries, healthy relationships, and the interesting people I work with.  I've had to discipline myself more than ever in my life in order to get everything done in a day (or at least try to) and I am so grateful to the Holy Spirit for His continual presence and power.  The work has been heart-breaking as the stories of the women are so painful and what we offer them can only help so far.  This has pushed me to keep figuring out how to face suffering and discouragement. I don't need to go on and on but I want to make it clear that I am quite surprised that my life turned out this way.  This was not part of my plan for my life.  Women's shelters weren't even on my radar.  Ah, the mysterious ways of God....

So, I would really appreciate your prayers - for me as I process but also for me as I work.  This is one of the primary things I believe God wants to teach me in this job: more about prayer.  Also, if you'd like me to pray for your work, please send me an email.  (This easiest way to do this is to subscribe to the blog and then reply to the email sent to you.)  Here is a confession: when I was in church ministry, I really didn't take the work of people in our congregations seriously enough.  I didn't immediately see how they fit into the kingdom or work of God and didn't take very much time to consider it.  I am sorry for this and am repenting.  I suspect there will be more about this in the weeks to come as I writer about both prayer and purpose.

For today, let me close with a passage that has been with me since my university days as I struggled to get readings done and stressed out about exams.
Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Blessings,
Tracy

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