If you know me, you probably know exactly what grinds my gears, because I've probably told you multiple times.
I have a notoriously poor attitude toward work. I hated my job in high school/early college so much that eventually, every day when I got to work, I started crying when I walked in the door. As a lifeguard, I groaned every time I walked out to a guard-stand to start a shift. At Dollywood (Dolly Parton’s theme park, it’s awesome) I was really difficult to be around. My sweet friend Tiffany managed to survive that job with me, and I have no idea how she did it, because I was a pill (T.Dawg, you’re a superhero, I love you).
It didn’t change when I went corporate. I started my job at HP and quickly figured out what I could complain about, who I could complain to, and off I went. Like a broken record, I let anyone who would listen know what was really grinding my gears at the moment. Occasionally, I’d pray for endurance, peace, patience, and joy in my job – but I guess I missed 1 Thessalonians 5:17 class, because I prayed and ceased in a rhythmic cycle so constant that the wheels in the cycle started wearing down, and eventually, I stopped presenting my attitude to the Lord altogether.
As I’ve been getting to know my world race squad, unfortunately, they’ve been learning this pretty quickly. They’d ask how I was, and I’d say “I hate my job, but otherwise I’m good,” or “my job sucks," or, “I hate my job, how are you?”
I have a 9-5, M-F job…it’s actually a very lush position, pays well, has been a HUGE blessing this year, and I genuinely enjoy the people I work with.
Last week I worked 24+ hours in 36 hours, 9.5 of them on a Saturday. 4 months ago, I would’ve been angry for the whole 24 hours that I was at work and the 9 hours I was given to go home, sleep, eat, shower, and get back to the office. Heck, I probably would've stayed angry for a while.
BUT
I got a text from one of my squadmates Friday morning on my way into work that says, “I was praying for you this morning, that you would have joy in the Lord in your job :)”
Halfway through the day, a squadmate who works for my company IMed me on our office chat system and told me he’d been prompted to pray for me that morning, that I’d have joy and peace in my job.
Later in the evening (you see where this is going) another two squadmates told me separately that they had been praying for me.
There have been others, there were just 3 or 4 that reached me while I was still in the first 8 hours of my 24 hours of work last weekend that convinced me that I was benefiting from the faithfulness of others, because my “prayers” (if I had said any) about my weekend of work were half-hearted, apathetic, full of doubt, and completely self-absorbed – and I had been so joyful and energized the whole day.
I finished my work day Saturday afternoon exhausted, but still so full of joy.
Monday, one of my co-workers called me “miss cheery,” as in cheerful, as in I appeared to be full of cheer.
I am reminded of Joshua’s battle and so thankful for the soldiers in my life standing on the hill raising their arms in intercessory prayer for me, even if my battle is about a million times less glorified and 100% selfish, the Lord has displayed His glory and power to me in something I've been battling for years.
…all this to say:
The Body of Christ is powerful.
Prayer is powerful.
God knows what you need and will supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
God will meet you where you are, even if it is a big ugly hole that you dug all by yourself with a shovel made of selfishness, somtimes even if you're not asking Him to – He'll put people in your life to ask for you.
and to challenge/encourage you:
If God's putting someone on your heart and you feel like you should maybe pray for them, PRAY FOR THEM! It's important, and it's so powerful.
