Musings on Job and Talent

The other day at work as I was walking down the hallway, I was thinking. Writing is what I love, but I really do like what I do at work, too. The two are very different. What I do at work uses my left brain. Writing uses my right brain.

When I was a child, I had a book I treasured, which we also read to our own children. I can't even remember the name now, but as the children marched to school, their school clothes changed to professional clothing, a nurse, a policeman, etc. as they dreamed about what they wanted to do when they grew up. And as they marched, they chanted, "Left foot, right foot, hay foot, straw foot".

That day, as I thought of my job and my writing passion - using my left brain and my right brain - I thought with a smile, "Left foot, right foot, hay foot, straw foot."

I think this is the case for many of us who go out to work. Often what brings us an income is not the the only thing we like doing, and perhaps there is something else that is more of a passion...but that's okay. Maybe we wouldn't enjoy the passion as much if we did it as a living. Maybe we would. But maybe God wants us to serve by doing both.

And perhaps we are happiest when we are open to more than one type of work in our lives. Even if our primary "job" is being a stay-at-home mom (as mine was for many years), we still may have another avenue of service and enjoyment, be it teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir, sewing, writing (naturally I'd think of that), or a myriad of other possibilities.

Whatever you do for love or money, may it bring you joy and satisfaction in the coming year!