Today, I am focusing on what I am most thankful for and it just so happens I have a great one.
MY DAD!
Sappy, I know, but hang in there with me. Today, my dad will retire from his long time job at a local refinery. I realized last night that I do not think I have ever taken the time to really thank my dad for his hard work. No worries, I remedied that :)
My dad is of a different breed. He works and has worked his whole life. He didn't go out trying to find his hearts calling and he certainly didn't take time off from work to "find himself". He worked to provide. He took all the overtime they gave and I NEVER remember him complaining of having to wake up at 4 a.m. to get to work. He did the work necessary to provide a life for his family.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
-Colossians 3:23-24
The Bible offer a LOT of wisdom on work. We are warned of keeping company with lazy fools in Proverbs and we are warned more so of being said lazy fool. Colossians reminds us that no matter WHERE we work, we are to do our work as though doing it for the Lord Himself. Friends, at the end of the day THIS is what you do! My dad has managed to set a lovely example of just this. He never boasts of his job, nor did he hate it (at least not out loud!). He simply did the work necessary, not for his immediate employers, but for God.
We live in an age where we are encouraged to always look out for #1. The problem with this is that our #1 isn't aligned with scripture. In our age, #1 refers to ourselves. We are told to make ourselves happy in order to make others happy. I'm pretty certain Mother Teresa did not feel that way! We are cautioned to only accept the best for us, go after our dreams and find what works best for us. WRONG. We are to align God's will as our #1. Does that mean life will be easy and we'll always have what we want? No. It means we will be cared for and have what we need. Understand this: life will NEVER and should NEVER be EASY here on Earth. As a matter of fact, I think far too many Christians are more content with finding an easy life than living the one God has called them to.
Am I grateful? YES. God saw fit to give me an earthly father who would set the example my Heavenly Father needed me to see. In the few (ahem, 35!) years that I have known my dad, these are just a few things I have learned:
- DON'T be lazy...just don't.
- Be willing to work for what you believe in.
- Be willing to stand for your beliefs; don't be wishy-washy.
- Give of yourself, as much as and a little more than you have.
- Have the guts to put your back into the work.
- Be thankful for where you are in life NOW.
- Be willing to always learn.
- Make yourself a student.
- Embrace constructive criticism.
- But be willing to stand up for yourself :)
These are just a handful of the things that were passed on to me through example. He never really spoke of them, he simply was all of them.
I encourage you to think about what you are thankful for today and shout it out. If God blessed you with a dad that has worked to provide for you (even if you're grown now) tell him thank you!
With that I will close by telling my dad thanks. Thank you for all the early mornings and the late nights. Thank you for all the turn-a-rounds and shut-downs. Thank you for giving me peace and comfort. We may not have been the richest kids, but I never worried about having food to eat, clothes to wear or the basics of life. Thank you for being there. Thank you for being the man God called you to be and leading by example.
Choose today to be a grateful day.
No comments:
Post a Comment