“Work is love made visible” ~Kahlil Gibran
What if we approached our work as an opportunity to show love? To our coworkers, those we serve, our children, to our students…visible love is possible if we work mindfully, as carriers of the sweet Spirit of Christ. *excerpt from Jen Hatmaker’s book “7”*
This year of the Lord 2014 has been a challenge for me in so many ways. I usually don’t do a year recap in the middle of quarter 3, but I have had some still, small revelations about certain areas of my life that need to be called-out now and recounted. I actually am in a “pause” cycle of my year and The Lord and are are doing a re-haul of 2014, intending to squeeze out as much goodness and value in the next 4 months as we can, in an effort to redeem and harvest the fruits of our labor! {more on this later, it has to do with August Fridays and you’ll love that story}
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I have been reading Jen Hatmaker’s books. Interrupted and 7: an experimental mutiny against excess. For me, these books were a hinge with which the lord used to open a new perspective and do a little SHIFT. (ahhh….the word for 2014, check it out HERE). This new perspective is the T in my SHIFT.
THOUGHTS:Possibly the most profound part of the shift will be a shift in the way I think. Changing your thought life has to be purposeful and consistent. It’s not for the faint of heart or the lazy but the thoughts I have will be God’s thoughts 99.9% of the time by 12/14….praying.
Interesting how God and I have been walking through the valley of the shadow of death this year (extreme exaggeration) and it is becoming clearer that I HAD to go through this year in order for the T to have even a remote possibility to be established.
Thought life is a big thing to overhaul. Its between you and God, its not open to accountability. You have to be aware, you have to be willing to be aware, you have to train those thoughts like a lion trainer. Whips and cages and raw meat…that’s what it takes to train your thought life.
And so when I read that part about WORK being the place where you have to show the most amount of love. I thought instantly about my big hairy work situation. Its big and hairy mostly because we completely renovated the processes and software and operations in January but also because its full of broken people just like me! (dear employee that is reading this, I do not think you are a train-wreck, I think we are all born sinners{religion in the workplace, no offense}, and because of our nature, I AM difficult for you and others challenge me, not just at work but at life, can you agree?. I do not think you are a problem. I think you are a blessing to ME and those you serve! and I pledge to love you more!)
As I change my perspective of my mission in the WORK I do, I do look at the people at my workplace and the people in my home and the people in my community as the place that God is calling me to be reverent. Where I am is where I will LOVE. There is a blessed sacredness in the work of my hands because I am called to invite the Spirit to breath freshly upon my tasks and my mission is to bring LOVE into each moment.
God be merciful and gracious to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us and among us – Selah (pause and calmly think of that)! That your way may be known upon earth, Your saving power (your deliverances and your salvation) among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2
Dear Thought life, be ready for the taming because ready or not, it looks like we are coming for you!
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