Handmaidens -Work Issues

Summer, 2000
Handmaidens

Work Issues

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Just a Thought...
By Staff Writer Sharon Barrett
I read the following in the Decision Mag: "Life with Christ doesn't mean that we are exempt from problems and difficulties, but it gives us peace in the good times as well as in the difficult times." I looked beyond that thought of "we are not alone no matter what," and saw something else... difficult times. In this world, difficult times are always with us. Tim 3:1-5 talks about the last days. Remember, no matter how difficult things get for us, God steps in and will not let us be tested beyond our own strength. God's strength is unlimited and perfect, and he knows our limits..

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Destination Success
Submitted by Linda Tucker

The road to success is Not straight. . .
There is a curve called failure. . .
A loop called confusion. . .
Speed bumps called friends. . .
Red lights called enemies. . .
Caution lights called family. . .
You will have flats called jobs BUT. . .
If you have a spare called determination. . .
An engine called perseverance. . .
Insurance called FAITH. . .
A driver called Jesus. . .
You will make it to the place called Success!

Bearing the Burden

My working years have included both times as an employee and terms of self employment (sometimes concurrently) and have encompassed a variety of job descriptions. I've been a jeweler, truck driver, writer, teacher, tax consultant, graphic artist... etc. ad nauseum ;-)

Yet whatever the circumstance, each position had its burdens. Some aspect or phase of my work was troublesome, difficult or uncomfortable. I'm sure this is fairly universal in the workforce, and my theory may easily be proven by spending ten minutes eavesdropping in any break room.

Whether your burden at work is a grouchy or demanding boss, a rasping coworker, an unreasonable client, dysfunctional equipment, unreasonable hours or any one of dozens of other difficulties, the burden makes work less than ideal. But, dear one, it's there for a reason; you're there for a reason. God has a purpose for you in each circumstance and He will use it ALL for your ultimate good and His perfect plan.

My friend Sally is a widowed mom of three young children and desperately needed her job. When the company Sally works for merged with a larger company, Mr. J, her new boss, made it perfectly clear that within six months the work force would be thinned by a third and only the cream of the crop would keep their jobs. Sally was this man's private secretary, and he was demanding beyond reason, adding to her duties daily. He traveled extensively and expected Sally to be on top of operations while he was gone yet gave her little or no background information from which to work, no praise and certainly no raise!

Soon Sally was staying up half the night researching issues that belonged in executive arenas not in the domain of the secretary... she felt as if she was responsible for both her job and his! Nonetheless, all she heard from her employer were complaints and increasing demands for perfection, and she soon began to wonder how long she could handle the stress. She held on, she says only because God gave her the strength and she felt she had no choice but to stay. In time, she had a good grip on management issues, but the pressure of working for Mr. J never let up.

One day, after over two years, the CEO from the corporate offices in San Francisco made an unexpected visit. He was a gentle, quiet man but very thorough. He seemed to already know a great deal about Sally as they visited about local business operations and reviewed the latest production plans. The afternoon passed quickly and Sally was surprised at how at ease she felt with Mr. D.

As he rose to leave, Sally stared in amazement as Mr. D casually pulled a screw driver and a small plaque from his jacket pocket and began to change the name plate on Mr. J's office door. Imagine, the CEO changing a name plate, she mused... Her brows knit in a frown as she wondered if the new boss would be even worse than Mr. J... Then she saw it!

Sally M, District Manager! God had heard all her prayers. He had seen all those late nights studying, all her efforts to learn and to please...

Yes, your burden may be heavy and you probably have no idea what its purpose could be, but God surely does. Fear not, child of God, He knows all about it and is in complete control. So, cease your fretting and give it all to Him. Forget about "taking control of the situation," instead give the situation over to Him and trust Him with it.

The story below is a perfect illustration...

The Contact Lens and the Ant
A true story by Josh and Karen Zarandona

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear,she put on the gear, took hold of the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens. Well, here she is on a rock ledge,with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there.

Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset,so she prayed to the Lord to help her find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff. She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of the Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Any body lose a contact lens?" Well that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving across the face of the rock, carrying it!

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words: "Lord I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for you."

At the risk of being accused of being fatalistic, I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God I don't know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will." God doesn't call the qualified-He qualifies the called.

SUBJECT: Jordan Management Consultants

COMPANY PROFILE

TO: Jesus, Son of Joseph
The Woodrcrafter's Carpenter Shop
Nazareth 25922
FROM: Jordan Management Consultants
Jerusalem 26544

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests, and we have not only run the results through our computers, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocation aptitude consultant.

It is the opinion of the staff that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capacity.

We have summarized the findings of our study below:

Simon Peter is emotional, unstable and given to fits of temper.

Andrew has absolutely no quality of leadership.

The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interests above Company loyalty.

Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.

We believe it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been black-listed by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.

James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus definitely have radical leanings. Additionally, they both registered high scores on the manic depressive scale.

However, one of the candidates shows great potential. He's a man of ability and resourcefulness; he is a great networker; has a keen business mind; and has strong contacts in influential circles.

He's highly motivated, very ambitious and adept with financial matters. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your Controller and Chief Operating Officer. All the other profiles are self-explanatory. We wish you the utmost success in your new venture.

What if Jesus had chosen the twelve based on the modern methods of leadership selection? Most of them would have never had a chance to participate. Jesus chooses people not for who they are, but for what they can become.

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