Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Stories - with Kaitlin B. Curtice

Home
Progressive Christian
Day 9: Lent for my Working

Day 9: Lent for my Working

Last updated on: February 23, 2016 at 8:38 am by Kaitlin B. Curtice

Day 9: Lent for my Working 2016-02-23T08:38:58-04:00 Kaitlin B. Curtice

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

At 27 years old, I’m still not sure what to call work.

It can be that deep, natural gifting that brings us to life everyday that we engage it;

it can be the 8-hour shift we pull to put food on the table,

and sometimes, it can be a little bit of both.

And if we choose to view our life through the lens of everything-is-holy,

maybe work becomes something we do to make our human experience more meaningful in every way.

I work as a mother and a wife and a deacon and a worship leader, and I find that with every season the work given to me expands and takes a new shape.

About a year ago I prayed for something that would allow me to make a little money for my family, but give life back to me as I did it.

A few months later, I found Rachel and her little girl Avery, and the relationship that seeped out of that is something I could never have expected.

I get to play guitar and laugh and sing with Avery and Laila, who are going to display their gifts for an audience soon to celebrate what we’ve done together.

A need was met in a beautiful way, and in the midst of lingering in thanksgiving over it, a friend offered me a scriptwriting job for a number of promotional videos.

I get to piece together words and emotions and stories, and celebrate a gift that I love, a good and kind work for my heart.

And in the summer I am going back to school, finishing a bachelor’s degree that it’s taken me years to get to the end of.

School is a work that I love dearly, the ability to use my brain and my intellect and my heart to engage my world and the bigger world around me.

And the truth that I am realizing is that in this current season, work is something that is shaping me into a new mother, a better writer, a fuller human being.

And these days I remember who shapes me, the path He walked from humanity to the cross to glory.

I remember that the work He did makes a way for the work I do, every realm of it, every season and manifestation of it.

Work is the journey to get us from here to there, the opportunity to make something meaningful out of everything that we’re about.

Our work is our family, our community, our prayers, our gifts, our labor and toil to survive.

Dhyani Ywahoo, a Cherokee writer, says

“It is our spiritual duty to pray in the morning, to pray in the evening, to call people together in joy, to eat together, to be happy human beings together.”

If that alone is the work we intend to do everyday, it is sacred enough to bring Kingdom in and around us, to bring us all closer to the truth and life of this Lent and coming Easter season.

Hallelujah for our good work, whatever it may be.

Previous Post

February 22, 2016

Day 8: Lent for my Night

Next Post

February 24, 2016 Day 10: Lent for my Creative-Prayer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent 2016 Adventure Community & One Another Contemplation Lent 2016 Lessons Motherhood Native American Heritage Month 2017 Native American Spirituality Politics & Social Justice Prayer Remembrance Seven Gratitudes Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 August 2013 March 2013 February 2013 November 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz