My Monday Morning Cup | The Glorious Work of Our Hands

I’ve often heard it said that change is the only constant in life. The wise and wealthy King Solomon knew that to be true. Life is indeed fluid. Yet, we can rest assurred knowing that God is always at work around us. As believers, our job is to identify where God is inviting us to join Him in His work. This may mean making some rather big adjustments to our lives in order to follow God faithfully and obedientally. In His unending pursuit of us, those He loves and whom He created in His image, God reveals His will to us through His word, through other people, and through the Holy Spirit (Blackaby & King, Experiencing God, 1993).

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

For me, this recently became evident in the opportunity God presented to join OurCalling, as I shared in last Monday’s post. Sweet T and I see that my becoming part of this vibrant ministry is a totally God-engineered plan involving the culmative experiences, skills, and talents the Lord has provided over the span of my life. Everything is coming together for such a time as this. For that, Sweet T and I praise God and give Him all the glory. Only He could have orchestrated such a miracle and blessing. For us, it is a long-awaited answer to prayer.

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Did you know that more than 10,000 people are homeless in Dallas? Of that number, 3/4 of the homeless live on the streets.

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T and I began this year revisiting Downton Abbey, one of our favorite television shows. Each evening, as we unwind from our day, we’ve watched an episode or two, finishing up with the series finale this past Sunday. One of the motifs running throughout the show is change, including the ever-present changes of work.

One of the definitions of change is to become different. Naturally, the course of work, which God ordained for humankind (Genesis 2:15), has changed significantly since Adam first filled the soil. In Downton Abbey, we witness the characters grapple with the tension created by the changing aspects of work they experience in the early 20th century, in addition to keeping up with the tumultuous changes in technology marking that particular period of time.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

I grew up in an age where work defined who you were. Your job was who you are. I live in a time that encourages people to pursue their passion and to strive for work/life balance. Work has changed a lot in my lifetime and certainly since my Dad first sought work. For me, it’s hard to believe I’ve accumulated 40 years of actual work experience in a variety of roles and industries, including nearly a decade of minstry and almost 25 years of working in foodservice. Certainly, how we work has changed since I started my first job as a stockboy at the old Magic Mart in Marshall, Texas.

Since leaving my role working as a supervisor responsible for overseeing operations at multiple Babe’s Chicken Dinner House locations, I have sought something to sink my teeth into. Working with the homeless discipleship ministry OurCalling appears to be that opportunity. It is a wonderful blend of my ministry and work experiences.

In the two weeks since starting my career at OurCalling, we have fed lunch to an average of nearly 200 people per day. In the mornings, we’ve provided coffee and pastries to over a 100 folks struggling to survive on the dangerous streets of the city. Mind you, it’s not that the city of Dallas is especially more dangerous than any other major metropolitan city in the United States, but living unsheltered, exposed to the elements, and easy prey for evil is indeed a trepid existence. I am overjoyed that the Lord has given me the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus each and every day through the work I do on behalf of this incredible ministry and alongside a pheonmenal team of people who love Jesus and have the desire to help people grow in the Lord and get off the streets.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Dallas is growing at a faster rate than ever before. Our poverty rate is one of the fastest growing in the nation, and affordable housing has become extinct (OurCalling website).

Reflection Questions:

1. How have you seen work change in your lifetime?
2. Do you remember your first job?
3. How do you see God working in your life?
4. Have you recently experienced God working in your life?
5. How can I pray for you?

Prayer:

O Lord, thank You for the privilege of work. Thank You for continously working in our lives. Help me and those who love You do all things with excellence, unto You and for the praise of Your glory. In Jesus name. Amen.

May you feel loved and valued. May you be the salt and the light this world desperately needs. I pray for the Lord to show You how He is working in your life. Many blessings.

Under Christ, for the Glory of Christ.

Blessings,

The Devotional Guy™

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