A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Wednesday,
October
6,
2021
This colorful autumn stand at the Schopf Brothers Farm is on the corner of Colebrook and State Roads in Lancaster County
Photo
taken by Ester
Click
on photo to enlarge
"Thank
You For Working!"
Note:
Today's message is not an exposition of a Scripture as we
normally seek to do. However please consider the daily
texts in light of our message.
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty" (Proverbs 14:23). "Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys" (Proverbs 18:9).
Yesterday,
after my first chaplain visit, I stopped at a Dollar Tree to
pick up a few items. When I checked out they had a sign
prominently displayed at each register that alluded to the
worker shortage pandemic with an appeal for customers to
treat the employees kindly.
I got into a
brief conversation with the cashier, who is also a store
manager, and simply thanked her for working. It seemed my
expression of appreciation touched her. There's a tendency
for all of us to take employees for granted; after all, they
are getting paid. But more and more employees work under
pressure due to the inability to staff at appropriate
levels.
We stopped at
another store two weeks ago usually open from 9 to 9, 7 days
a week, and found their doors to be locked at 5:20 PM. Then
we saw the sign: New hours due to staff shortage: 5 PM
closing. We were going to stop at CVS last week to pick up a
prescription only to see the lights out and it was about
7:30 pm.
In addition to
shortage of workers, during this over 18 months of pandemic,
people have grown ruder and more inconsiderate. We've seen
and read about this for quite awhile now, but even more so
related to the pandemic. Brooksyne has talked to hotel
managers we serve as chaplains and heard almost unbelievable
stories of the rudeness they've endured over the past 18
months, and we've served these motels for about 16 years
now.
I decided one way I could encourage people, and
intend to do so going forward, is to verbally
thank them for working. So at my next stop, a Home Depot, as
I walked through the store I made it a point to simply thank
the employees for working. Bob is in
the photo, 85 years old, using a scooter and still working!
He is a retired mechanical engineer from California, in the
area to lend support to his grandchildren. As we talked he
volunteered, "I'm a believer". We couldn't talk long since
he was working but he sure seemed like a man who would have
a lot to offer!In God's
design work is a critical component of life, beginning in
the garden when God assigned work to Adam.
"What if" is a
YouTube channel that answers questions beginning with "What
if" such as, "What If the World Lost Oxygen for Five
Seconds?" (see below for link to this channel). If I could
make neat YouTube videos I would make one that asked, "What
if everyone just stopped working?"
- Show a scene of a dairy farmer just walking away from his duties and the consequences, both immediate and longer term.
- Show truck drivers just stopping their truck on the highway and walking away.
- All hospital employees from physicians to custodial staff just walk off the job.
- What if all the staff in nursing homes
just quit.
- A scene with all the police just walking off the job and then a follow-up scene.
- The garbage trucks stop running.
- You can imagine your own scene.
An analogy I
appreciate in regard to work is one of those pulling the
wagon and those just riding along in the wagon, letting
others do all the pulling. Many have observed that more and
more simply want to ride along and depend on the labor of
others. That means fewer and fewer are working harder and
harder to pull the wagon!
Now of course
some are "in the wagon" for a valid reason:
- Some are retired after a long season of
work and productivity, although we see many, like Bob, who
for various reasons continue to work. I believe employers
will increasingly value the work ethic of these older
workers. But if we live long enough we will all reach an
age when we really can't work.
- Some have a disability that prohibits them
from working, although many, with even severe
disabilities, manage to work productively. In fact in the
course of our chaplaincy we see a number of hard-working
disabled people. But of course some severe disabilities
prevent people from earning a living.
- The young are preparing (or should be) for
a life of responsible work. But a lot of older youth and
college age still manage to work while studying. However
far too many have seemingly perpetual additional levels of
education, with little prospect of using the studies for
meaningful work, such as degrees in "gender studies" and
so forth.* Eighteen has been considered the age that youth
reach adulthood but in recent news we heard a new study
from Oxford researchers says people don’t reach full
adulthood until they’re 30. Though I don't embrace their
viewpoint there are many contributing factors to such an
assessment, most all of them that do not contribute to a
healthy society.
But many don't
work and carry their own load due to dubious reasons such as
the inability to find a job for their degree (increasingly
common, given the many nonsense degrees being cranked out).
Some think they're entitled to only a job they like or with
a certain pay scale. Others continue to use the pandemic as
an excuse for their laziness. In our view government aid
programs, ostensibly compassionate, have merely exacerbated
the problem.
So today join
us in thanking people for working and doing their duty in
contributing to making life work. If you have opportunity
express your thanks personally and verbally. Brooksyne and I
thank all of you who are working today in "keeping the
lights on" so that we may continue to enjoy the day to day
norms of life.
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we pray for those who go to
work daily; those who do not eat the bread of
idleness but are productive in their daily work and
thereby providing for their families. We’re also
grateful for the current technology permitting those
to work safely from home when the need arises. When
we look not only to our own interests but also to
the interests of others there is mutual benefit to
both parties and for all concerned, Jesus being the
greatest example of this. Amen.Note:
Of course there are many families that choose a traditional lifestyle
where the husband works and the wife stays home with
childcare and household duties. In this case she
is not in the wagon! In reality the value of
her maternal skills may actually exceed the value of
her working outside the home in regard to savings in
childcare, housekeeping, meals, etc. More
importantly many of these families prefer to nurture
their young children in a loving and biblical home
setting rather than depending on outside influences
that might detract them from their intended goals,
especially given the current state of public
education.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"We
Labor Unto Glory " Video The Porter's Gate
*
"9 Exciting Careers For Gender
Studies Graduates" Far too true satire
from the Babylon Bee!
Finally
today:
This morning I spoke to Doug Paglia
with an update on his folks, DJ (Doc) and Anna
Mary whom we met shortly after moving to
Lancaster County in 2001. DJ is a faithful
minister of the gospel. He and Anna Mary are
close to celebrating their 75th wedding
anniversary but are succumbing to the
inevitable impact of aging. Doug shared
concerning his search for either home-care or
a place they can go but has hit dead ends.
Please pray for this family and, if you have
suggestions, please let me know and I will
pass on to Doug. Our area has many retirement
senior living facilities but due to the labor
shortage and some of the nonsensical
government policies he has not been able to
locate a place that will admit them.
Send
a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
To receive the
"Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday
through email see this
page to subscribe to our email list. You can also
subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or
through a Wordpress email subscription.
(See the email subscription on the right side
after opening this page)
Permissions:
Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and
distribute any material on Daily Encouragement
Net, in part or in whole, in any format,
provided that you do not alter the wording in
any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of
reproduction. It is our desire to spread this
material, not protect or restrict it. We do
request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription
information intact.
We want to thank all who financially
support our ministry. We
realize there are many fine ministries and
causes requesting support but if the Lord
would lead you we surely need and appreciate
the financial support from our readers and
listeners. Our
ministry labor is comprised of approximately
half our time to Daily Encouragement and the
other half to our chaplaincy ministry to
companies for which we receive compensation.
Each of these ministries essentially is the
same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for
each of us. Our goal for many years is that
each would provide half of our ministry
expenses and income.
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note: We
also provide this easy option due to the
convenience, for international supporters,
and for those who may not be concerned
regarding receiving an official tax
deductible receipt. Click here to
send an offering using PayPal. This
will open to a page that states "Brooksyne
Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2021 Stephen C. & Brooksyne
Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA