Pastor’s Corner—May 2008

“When You Do Not Want to Be at Work (or School)”

We can have some absolutely beautiful weather in May. Everything has turned green from the winter’s grays. A sweet flowered bouquet fills the air and the fields. Balmy air beckons us outside, but we cannot often escape. Work or school demands our attention. We know that we will pay for not living up to our responsibilities. How do you find happiness at work when you would rather be somewhere else? I ask my wife, Rita, for her advice. She says, "I count my blessings. I know that I am lucky to have a job and to have my health. I structure my day so that I accomplish something worthwhile. Finally, I usually yell at myself and tell me to stop acting like a brat." In other words, she gives herself a dose of tough love.

Brother Lawrence, a Christian monk born in 1610 in France, had a similar and very practical manner of facing every day. He kept in constant conversation with God during each of his days. He thanked God for his blessings. He asked God's guidance and strength to do what needed to be accomplished, asked God to help him evaluate what he had done, giving thanks for good deeds, asking pardon when he did not measure up. Because he was not afraid to keep talking with God, he felt that he had the Lord of the Universe with him each moment of the day. It made his work far more happy and meaningful. For this reason, he found meaning and happiness in the simplest chores. You can read find Brother's Lawrence's "Practice of the Presence of God" on the Internet on many different websites.

How does your faith help you to live your daily life? Share it with the pastor; he will share the wealth of your faith with others.

Grace United Church of Christ