Take this job...and honor it.

" Blessed are those whose strength is in you ,who have set their hearts on pilgrimage."

Psalm 84 1(NIV)

It had been a long week. It had been a stressful week which left me feeling that there were not enough hours in a day--not enough hours in a lifetime to manage all I felt called to do.

The alarm went off Friday morning. I shuddered as I was overwhelmed and my feet had not even touched the floor. Groggily I made my way as I followed the footprints etched in our wooden floors. First stop, bathroom, second stop, 4 scoops coffee grounds 1 pot of water- , and third stop, the computer. Everything clicked along as usual. No life shattering emails, and surprisingly my morning devotional had not yet arrived. So, I decided to check up on my blog. No comments.

Absentmindedly, I clicked the button at the top of the blog which said,-Next Blog- . To my amazement--there in black and white, it said,." "Don't complain about your job" Following this statement were an assortment of photos which showed people carrying out jobs that were less than desireable such as wading in sewage water, carrying toilets on backs, or sticking heads down overflowing sewage holes. The kicker was that the rest of the blog was in another language-that I don't know. Check it out! God has a sense of humor !http://www.oosthuysenattorneys.blogspot.com/ Then in the righthand column was the scripture Psalm 84:5-7 -also written in English.

As I meditated on this verse, it gave me pause. Have I truly set my heart upon the pilgrimage that God has set before me? Or am I more caught up in my own hidden agenda? As I pass through the valley, do I make it a place of springs(light and refuge for others)? Or do I weigh others down with my complaints and grumblings? Do I truly rely on God to provide my strength one step at a time until the day comes when I stand before him? Or do I belabor the thoughts of " I can't do all this...."?

Later that morning while helping residents to lunch after their church service, MaryAnn held a song sheet in her hand. "This little light of mine..I'm gonna let it shine..." The elevator doors closed and we sang..."this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...."

The day ended, I got as much done as I could--with God's help, and I let my light shine.

Blessings to you on the pilgrimage God has set before you.