Do you work or play?

I had the pleasure of a ‘coffee date’ with my teenage daughter last night.  Twice a month we go listen to live music at our local coffee shop.  It was fun, and I am amazed at the Local Talent here in southern WI.  Anyway, this coffee shop puts up a quote a day. Here is the one they had posted last night, from Author James Michener.

So that started the wheels spinning, lol!  I spent the evening listening to music and reflecting. OK, where have I refused to see the light?  What am I still holding onto to stay in the dark?

My latest ‘battle’ is work-related. Or should I say, what to do about work after this leg thing.  I have had many ‘jobs’ in my lifetime.  Us moms usually do.  I did get a college degree in Biology/Chemistry but really only worked in the field for a few years.  After I had kids my priorities changed.  Life changed. Things happened.  I don’t regret it, my kids are way more important than any  job.  I am grateful for the time I have had to spend with them.

After divorce, I had to go back to work, kids or no kids.  Yep I did the 9-5, and then 6-3, and another part-time job 4-9pm all to try to survive after the financial mess a divorce (or two) leaves you with. And the daycare fun, yeah right.  But we made it.  May not have been pretty, or looked like much, but to us – we survived.  That in itself was a miracle.

And now, I am looking forward.  What do you want to do with the next 20 years Ms D? Go back to a ‘regular’ job. Idk. I have put out a few resumes for ‘desk’ jobs. But seriously, I am competing with the 20 year olds. Wow, I remember when I was that young.  Such high hopes and felt on top of the world.

Today I just want to ‘play’. I don’t want to ‘work’. Does that sound stupid? I am not a lazy person, I have had 2-3 jobs sometimes. I have done the ‘work’ thing. But can’t I just play and make money doing that?The ‘work’ thing was not fun or fulfilling.  It was rather empty.

So, what does ‘play’ mean to you? For me it is writing and music.  So I started looking there. Recently I have been writing music, and working for some online companies doing writing/voice overs and the like. It is much calmer lifestyle for me. And it allows me to run kids around for different activities.

My husband runs his own computer business – he thinks that is fun. Crazy, I know, but he loves it, and he is very good at it. Bob drives all over doing IT work for lots of big name companies. “Never the same day twice” he says.  He is amazing, and a gift from God.  So, He inspires me too – to do what God made me for – and to trust that God will work it out.  I am blessed.

So do you ‘work’ or do you ‘play’?

GOD’S WORD FOR YOU:

“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,  for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?  To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 NIV)

“What do workers gain from their toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him…

 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them? (Ecclesiastes 3:9-14, 22 NIV)

MY PRAYER FOR YOU:

Dear Lord,

We know you made us to give you glory here on Earth.  To shine light in the darkness and spread joy and peace.  Lead us to the field you want us to plant in.  We are tired of ‘working’ and not getting anywhere. Like Solomon, toil seems useless sometimes. Let us rest in your peace, and ‘play’.  Enjoy our time here with you, and show others how awesome You are. You have put this special plan of eternity in our hearts, so let us remember that our assignment here is only temporary, in Jesus Name.

Related articles

• What to Do When Life Seems Meaningless (sadeferri.wordpress.com)
• Ecclesiastes (roxistclair.com)
• Be Happy, Do Good (jesuslives8139.wordpress.com)
• Your Goals and Dreams (bradstanton.com)
• This, too, is meaningless – like chasing the wind. (Ecclesiastes 2:26) (twgdailydevotionals.wordpress.com)

dianarasmussen

Diana Rasmussen is a Faith Builder, Worship Leader, Veteran’s wife, and a Certified Peer Specialist. At her blog Prayers and Promises she shares from her heart on how to find hope in this crazy world!

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