Ten years: Work, Work, Work

By Elizabeth Prata

I passed the ten-year mark at school. I have worked in the same school for the same boss for all 10 years, with mainly the same core staff. For an autistic person, this is an achievement.

I give praise to my Lord for getting me this job, with this boss, and for sustaining me all these years. I love working with children. Seeing them grow in education and knowledge and social skills is satisfying. I love being a part of that as a teacher’s aide.

My work history has been bumpy. I worked odd jobs thru High School and College. After college I got a job as a substitute teacher in order to save money for Graduate School, because I wanted to be a college teacher, a Professor. I wanted my career to be in academia, teaching, yes, but mainly to research and write. I wasn’t saved, but the Lord is sovereign over the unsaved, and He had other plans for me.

As an elementary sub, my principal at the time (this is the early 1980s) encouraged me to get my certificate and become a classroom elementary teacher. He said I was a natural. It took a couple of years to do while working full time as a sub, but I did it. I finished the courses then worked as a teacher aide for a year. When a classroom spot opened up my old encouraging principal was good as his word and got me a job. I stuck with that for about 7 years, but I was bounced around from grade to grade or school to school because I was hired on the tail end of a population bubble that had burst. Low numbers. But they always found me a spot.

Eventually I wearied of bouncing around and wanted to take time off to obtain my long awaited Graduate Degree. I finished the coursework for an Education Literacy degree. By then I’d decided to travel for a few years and didn’t return to the classroom. I did the journalism thing for about 6 years in Maine. I moved to Georgia and worked for a daily paper doing some newspaper feature writing for two years, and finally went back to subbing. I missed education and children. I was full circle to teaching again (as an aide not a classroom teacher). I like being support staff better. I don’t have to write plans or go to as many meetings or have the main pressure on me.

I got this job in Georgia when I was 50. Now it is 10 years later and I am still at it, though admittedly tireder, lol. I need to keep going for at least 7 more. At least. I’m going to try and make it ten more. If the Lord tarries, that is, and I’m not swept to heaven through death or rapture to work for Him where tiredness isn’t even part of the vocabulary!

I’m pleased and grateful to be able to work, and to remain at a job for a long time. When Monday morning comes I’ll get up and serve my boss, my teacher and the children for another 5 days the best I can before another weekend arrives. In this way, week-by-week, another 10 years will pass. That’s my goal, because the Lord wants us to work.

Here is GotQuestions excerpt answering a question about work:

The Bible states that God worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. These passages reveal that God was the first to do work on the earth. Therefore, legitimate work reflects the activity of God. Because God is inherently good, work is also inherently good (Psalm 25:8; Ephesians 4:28). Furthermore, Genesis 1:31 declares that, when God viewed the fruit of His labor, He called it “very good.” God examined and assessed the quality of His work, and when He determined that He had done a good job, He took pleasure in the outcome. By this example, it is apparent that work should be productive. Work should be conducted in a way that produces the highest quality outcome. The reward for work is the honor and satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

What Does the Bible Say About Work?

So, we work. My bigger goal is to honor and glorify Him through my work. The Lord worked. He told Adam to work. God also rested on the seventh day. I hope this day of rest is fruitful for you. Eventually, even though we’ll work for Jesus in heaven, it will be eternally restful work. What a day that will be.