the four-letter-word

To followers and consistent readers, you may need to avert your eyes for much of this post as it is going to contain usage of a ...shhh... (whisper voice) four-letter-word. I cannot be held responsible for your delicate sensibilities when I type this word. I’m talking about (whisper voice again) work.

Yeah, I’m bringing up (venomous voice) that. From now on work will just be called “it” For many of us, it is the dreaded part of our day, yet it requires the greatest amount of our time. There will always be aspects of it we enjoy in some way, whether it’s the co-workers who have become like a second family, the day to day challenge, or a big fat (could gain a few pounds) paycheck.

The frustrations I faced in finding a new job after my move made me think about this in a new way. First off I should mention, I have had interest in branching out from retail for a long time prior to moving. Retail it had started to become draining. The problem for me was, I had great experience, enough to get any job... in retail. To go into another field would require starting from the bottom all over again. I was also facing a job market that seemed to say, “be happy where you are, no job for you.”

So I was gonna stay full-time with my current company in a new city until I got settled. Oh wait, only part time now. Well not now, next week. Maybe. Uncertainty or lack of employment is very frustrating. I started realizing, it is a part of us and without it our value seems invalidated. (You forgot “it” means “work”, so reread the last sentence then we can move on).

This whole thing of feeling stuck in our job, or miserable doing what we do, or not having a place to it, is terrible for us, and can even make us feel desperate or worthless.

The constant reminder we “aren’t what they are looking for” chips away tiny pieces of us making it (not work) next to impossible to not seem (even though we feel) like a loser imp in front of the next person we talk to about what we can do for their business. Then you wonder just how “picky” can I be? I can settle for what pays most of the bills next week, but what about the wages not being enough for the whole month? People can be nice with platitudes about God closing the door, but (after they pull the “door-knob” out of their nose) you wanna ask them if that door is going to pay rent and feed the kids.

Whatever your issues with it are right now, I don’t really have any answers. I do know this: whatever the particulars of your situation may be, God does know what things ye have need of before you ask Him, but He still wants you to ask Him. Not so you can feel like you have done something, but so you can remember no matter how broke or affluent one may be, they are still dependent on God for everything. You are also not worthless to God, despite what potential employers say. I also know God never intended work to be hated, it was not part of the curse, so seek Him first and look for the opportunities that will lead to you making a living doing what you are passionate about.

OK, no more four-letter-words for a little while now...