The Gift of Our Work

I spend a lot of time, late at night, at Gate 107 of the Toronto airport waiting to catch the last flight of the day home. The airport is mostly empty and quiet with only a handful of travelers sitting quietly, wishing they were home in their beds.

There is a woman I see often at Gate 107. She very quietly and slowly pushes a long broom back and forth across the floor, clearing away the debris of the day. She is past the age of retirement, likely in her late sixties. She looks sad, lonely, tired. I think of her often.

I think of her spending 40 hours a week quietly pushing a broom around Toronto airport. And then I think about the fact that I get to work for an amazing ministry that is carrying out the work of the kingdom on earth. I get to work with people I would have chosen as my friends had I met them outside of Compassion.

I get to exercise my mind on challenging projects, with the knowledge that the end result is changing people’s lives for the better. And if that weren’t enough, I get the incredible opportunity of seeing far corners of the earth that many never see and of meeting incredible individuals most will never meet.

And then I think of the woman at Gate 107, silently, sadly, pushing her broom. I think of the millions of people around the world, many of whom you and I have met, who would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to push that broom for 40 hours a week, to work in a safe environment and receive a fair wage.

You and I have been gifted with an incredible blessing from the Lord. Today as you go about your work, be mindful of the amazing gift that you have been given.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. — Colossians 3:23–24, NIV

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the gift of our jobs, for calling us to do Your work and bless children around the world. Let us never take it for granted, but remember to praise You in all we do.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Angelina Dieleman is the special advocacy project manager in the president’s office at Compassion International.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.