Hard Work is Not a Prison Sentence
Our son Aaron recently completed a summer internship with the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), where he had the opportunity to learn about the risk issues faced by the organization that serves Bexar County.
This was Aaron’s first employment opportunity, and the first week was challenging, and he stated …
“It’s tough having to be at work a whole 8 hours!”
I was about to try and teach him a lesson about the importance of hard work, and the value of working long hours. However, wisdom stepped in, and I realize today after more than 30 years of being in the workforce, that hard work does not have to be a prison sentence.
The Giving Time Angle
My Brothers in Christ and I recently served on the Holy Spirit Catholic Church ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service) retreat as team members. To prepare, we met and planned for 13 weeks prior to the retreat.
As volunteers, we not only give our precious time, but we also donate our talent and treasure. We were excited that 32 men signed up to attend the weekend event, which was held on the beautiful grounds of Cordi-Marian Sisters and Retreat Center.
As part of the team, we are working nonstop, which means from 5 am to midnight on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Our team was composed of 40 men who volunteered for different services, such as Communications, Music, Stewards, Foot Washing, and Agape.
The work is tough, and we must be ready to jump in when we are needed in another service. The beauty here is that no one complains about the additional work and long hours. We just ensure that we are providing a beautiful, Christ-centered experience to our participants.
That is My Point
As I write these words, the answer to the meaning of hard work is easier for me to understand. When I do stuff that I enjoy and that has meaning to me, the difficulty and toughness of the work does not matter much.
In other words, my employment should be in an occupation that calls to me. It might take me a few jobs to identify what I loved to do, but it is my responsibility to keep searching.
During my conversation with Aaron, I mentioned to him that the level of compensation should be secondary. I remember the jobs where I was paid handsomely, but I did not enjoy what I did. In some cases, these occupations required significant travel, which meant that I was away from my family on the weekends, pr
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