Working for the Ultimate Boss

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

                                                                                                                             ~Colossians 3:23 NIV84

Before I even started the Let. It. Go.  Bible study, this scripture had been penetrating my heart. I always marvel at how God works in my life. One day, I have this scripture that I say over and over in mind in order to get me through the day, and then a couple of weeks later he brings it back to me so I can delve deeper into its meaning, and begin applying it not only in challenging situations, but in my every day-in everything I do.

 

About three weeks ago I was placed in, what was for me, a challenging position. For the last two months I have been substitute teaching here in our little town. The school district has it set up in such a way that the substitutes can simply go online and choose the assignments they wish to take. We have the option of choosing the grade level, subject matter, teacher and even days that we prefer to work. It’s really great, and with starting a business it allows me days to solely focus on my business while taking a couple of days out of the week to get out of the house and interact with others. Besides, I love substituting. The kiddos just make my day!

 

One weekend I noticed there was an available position for a teacher (or paraprofessional, meaning there would be a certified teacher in the room as well) who would be gone for four days the following week. This class was held at the high school. I hadn’t yet been brave enough to work at the high school, but knew I needed to do it eventually. I figured since another teacher would be in the room, this would be a great way for me to learn the ropes and see if I would ever want to venture up to the high school again. Something else that was different about the job was that the teacher, of whom I would be replacing for the next 4 days, did not leave a lesson plan nor did she give any explanation of what a typical day was like for her.  In the past, the teachers had always given me a heads up on what to expect, so I always felt mentally prepared for the day.

 

The first day of my assignment I quarreled about what to wear. In our orientation we were told to dress professionally, and that meant no jeans expect for on Fridays. I settled with a skirt, sweater, tights and heels.   When I arrived at the school and signed in, the secretary asked me, “You do know you are working with severely handicapped kids today don’t you”.  At that point it didn’t hit me that the way I was dressed is what triggered her to ask me the question in the first place.  I politely said, “No, I did not know that. The teacher didn’t post any information for me to review prior to coming in”. She directed me to the class room where I was met by the teacher and the other paraprofessionals (6 to be exact). They began briefing me on what to expect, and explained that the rest of the week it would be wise to wear more comfortable clothes. I know I looked like a deer in headlights when they began explaining to me that the kids (ranging in ages from 16-20) I would be working with are severely handicapped, mentally and physically-blind, deaf, in need of feeding tubes, diapers, unable to walk or even talk.

 

As much as I hate to admit this, I thought to myself, “I can’t do this. I’ve never been around anyone like this. What if I do something wrong? They need someone who is trained to be here, not me! What am I going to do! Why didn’t they let me know what I was getting in to so I would be better prepared, at least mentally.” I was terrified, but I knew the last thing I was going to do was leave, so I began to pray to God. I asked that He be close to my side throughout the day and the rest of the week. That He be my hands and my words. That day was a very long day. It was physically and emotionally exhausting, but I got through it. And as I reflected on the day that evening when I got home, I knew I had done something I’d never done before, but it never felt like I was the one doing the work. I believe with all my heart God was guiding me in everything I did-He truly became my hands and my words.

 

The next morning as I was getting ready for the day this verse came to me, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men”.  Shortly after that my mom sent me this text message, “Have a good day babydoll. I am praying for you! I love you so much!! Remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!!! And remember Jesus said, “What you do for the least of these you do for me”.  At that moment I knew, it wasn’t the school who asked for my help, Jesus did. And I knew he wasn’t going to give me something I couldn’t handle. He put me in a situation He knew I could handle. I called on Him to be with me, to guide me and direct me and most importantly to work through me. I have gone back and worked with those wonderful kids every week since.

 

I know, the point of this post was to share simple ways you can live out the scripture of Colossians 3:23, and the point I wanted to make, is that no matter how hard something may seem, or how much you really don’t want to do it, when you reflect on this scripture it motivates you to do things you don’t want to do or may seem too hard to do.  I can honestly say that if I had known what I was getting myself into that week, had the teacher explained to me what the days would be like, I wouldn’t have taken the assignment. It was all part of God’s plan. I’ve been putting this scripture to work in my life for the last few weeks now, in everything I do. It gives everything a new meaning and gives me a purpose. In this life, I’m working for the Ultimate Boss, not man. 

 

Rachel