Hard Work

I’ve never been averse to hard work, but I am reluctant to put much effort into uncertain ventures. There are very few guarantees in life. Most of us start on a path without knowing for sure if we will make it securely to the end without paying too high a cost.

My friend DH and her husband have taught me some lessons about hard work. Over the years, they have raised beef cows, chickens, and goats, planted a variety of fruit trees, constructed hundreds of houses, provided for countless people, and started a church in our community. I’ve received the fruits of their labor: the best beef, eggs, fruits, vegetables...oh, and they also built my home. They start new projects regularly. I absolutely love being a spectator—observing and learning from them.

Last week, I received a windfall. The wind knocked down one of the branches off my apple tree. I ended up with more unripe apples than I could handle. At first, I searched for a way to make use of these apples without putting too much work into it. I thought about giving them away as feed for animals or using them for compost. Instead, I ended up spending several hours in a hot kitchen turning those apples into sauce, pickle, and hummus. I realized how much labor went into what I usually buy from the store for a few dollars. Yet the products of my work brought me much more satisfaction. Later that evening, I told DH how much I appreciated all the hard work she did daily. We came to the conclusion that good things require hard work and hard work brings satisfaction.

Another lesson that she has taught me is to factor God’s contribution into every project. When starting anything new, I tend to look at my natural abilities, accessible resources as well as liabilities and limitations. I hope for God’s help, but I don’t count on it. I write about depending on God, but my decisions and actions don’t always align with what I write. DH has taught me to trust God and to recognize Him as the majority shareholder in every good venture; and that when God leaves a project, it’s time for me to move on too.  

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength--to do the hard work that is required to carry out His Will—which in turn, brings satisfaction and fulfillment. (My own paraphrase of Philippians 4:13)