It is my pleasure to share Jennifer’s wise words about making God the center of our work for this week’s Worship Wednesday post…

Making God the Center of Our Work

by Jennifer Wake

Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s Off to work I go….

My daughter was just eight weeks old when I had to return to work. My husband was in seminary so I had to work to pay for our bills. I left early and came home late. I hated it. Our friend watched my daughter in her apartment down the hall. While it was super convenient, my daughter started to act like she lived there, not in our home

One time my daughter fell down and scraped her knees. Instead of reaching out to me, she reached for my friend. My world crashed down that day. Thankfully, my friend picked her up and gave her to me to comfort her. While she rested her head on my shoulder, my heart wept. I wanted to give up, to never go back to work. But God….

God Provides Our Work

God reminded me that He gave me this job. He provided it, no one else.

Three years into our marriage we took a leap of faith. Dave and I drove from Virginia to Colorado in order for Dave to go to Seminary. We did not have a plan besides that. When we arrived I called around to local school districts asking if they had a science teacher position available. One high school, just one, was still looking for a chemistry and physic teacher. I put on my “interview suit” to meet with the principal and vice-principal. They were wearing shorts and t-shirts.  Boy, did I feel overdressed, but I looked professional and I interviewed well. They hired me on a Thursday, I started teaching on the following Monday. 

God is at the Center of Everything

God provided. He is in the center of everything.

I taught for three years at this school. My daughter was born at the end of year one. The last two years were very long, and hard but God was there. He was there every morning. He was there when I stayed up late grading papers because I spent time with my daughter playing and seeing everything she had learned to do.

God was still in the center of my world.

Fast forward many years. My work now is very different from teaching Chemistry and Physics. I am a “SAHM” (Stay At Home Mom). I may not get a paycheck but my work is still hard, exhausting, and yet very rewarding. I teach my children even as they are leaving home. I volunteered in their schools, for VBS, I coached many sports teams and baked more cookies than I can count. God showed me that my work at home was his calling on my life.

God is the center of my home.

As my children grew and began to spread their wings, I started looking for ways to work that gave me the same satisfaction as teaching or being a SAHM.  God called me to volunteer with Planting Roots. He also opened doors for me to mentor military women. I still love teaching but now I teach about God’s Word to military women in and out of uniform. I guess you could say I “mentor” my kids now that they are all out of high school.

Time passes quickly but God is still in control.

As we approach a new phase of life, “being empty nesters,” God is still in the center.

The term “empty nest” doesn’t fit with my life. For me “nest” means where my heart rests. My heart rests with my husband and dog.  I feel like now I have many nests. I have one nest up in New York with my eldest and her husband. I have a nest with my daughter at college, and one with my son at a trade school. Maybe I should change the term into “many nests” instead of “empty nest.” No matter what you call it, God is still at the center of it.

Every job you have, every place you live, God is at the center of it.  

Where is God in your world? Is he in the center? Or is he nowhere near your heart, on the outside looking in?  

You just have to ask and God will come into your world – every part of it. He will become the center of all you do.  He wants to be with you and to show you all that He has planned for you.

Will you let him be your center? Let’s make God the center of our work.

This song, Center Of It by Christ August, reminds me to make God the center of all I do, whether working away from home or staying home with our children, even in my many nests. 

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