The Work God Has Given Me

Every Sunday, we say a prayer after Holy Communion. We thank God for feeding us spiritually and for reminding us of our place in His kingdom. Then we pray the following, "And now, Father, send us out into the world to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord."

This part of the prayer reminds me, among other things, that the work I do is given by God. My primary purpose during the Monday through Friday routine is not to get through my to-do list, but to love God and to serve Him. It has reminded me that my career is not really a career at all; it's my mission for God.

What struck me this Sunday is that, for the first time, the work God has given me for this week is not teaching... For four years, teaching has been my priority, my main focus, the place I spend the most energy. In many ways, teaching has been my identity. But this week, the students are traveling on academic trips and I'm 37 weeks pregnant; I'm working in the front office to help cover for people who are out. So the work God has given me for this week is to sit behind a desk (something I'm certainly not used to!). Next week is our school's Spring break and I will not be returning to teaching after Spring break.

So my next work is to continue preparing and waiting for our baby; then I'll begin the work of being a Mother. To be honest, I'm intimidated, perhaps even scared, of this next work, this work of being a Mother. What if I'm not "good at it" (whatever that means)? What if I don't enjoy it or if it's not fulfilling in the same way that teaching has been? These questions and others have crossed my mind at different points in my pregnancy, but as I prayed on Sunday, I felt hope. I felt encouraged. This work of being a Mother is given to me by God. This child is a gift given to me by God. And for these reasons, I'm reminded that my purpose in the work of being a Mother is the same as it has been in teaching. My purpose, my drive, is to love and serve God as a faithful witness of Christ our Lord.

Will I be "good at it"? Will I enjoy it? I don't know those answers, but I do know that it's the work God has given me. And that's enough.