Issue 061
Every hour lasts sixty minutes. But some hours are described as long hours. Others are described as unsociable hours. You’ll also hear people talking of irregular working hours.
Shift work and long hours are a lethal combination in the workplace. However you describe it, you are messing with time and Old Father Time is not forgiving or kindly. He marches on and tires you out. Your body clock can become confused and your rhythms distinctly shaky. At these times, our ideals hit the cold stones of reality and maybe we need to work, as they say, all the hours God sends, if only for a short period.
Other people are not always sympathetic. The shift worker or long- hours slave is often seen as a little eccentric or out of step. The pious critic will even condemn you for lack of order and discipline in your life. The healthy talk of work life balance is something with which you would like to engage but there are times in your working life when everything seems to go mad.
Not so with Jesus Christ; he knows the pressures of working odd hours. He was interrupted at night and woken in the morning. He was on demand day and night from crowds and individuals – not to mention His disciples. Even when he wanted to take a rest, he was sought out by people clamouring for his attention
To one would-be follower he said,“I don’t even have a place to lay my head.” Here was the perfect man. Here was the man whose life contained beauty and order, yet his hours were all over the place. I don’t know why you or I have to burn candles at both ends and in the middle as well, but I do know that there is a least one person who’ll stay awake with me – he understands – he has nowhere to lie down anyway so he’s not going nod off.
Mathew 8:18-22
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 21Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
In preparation for the next GEOFFSHATTOCKweekly, do feel free to email us your thoughts to wtw@worktalk.gs or leave a comment on our Facebook or Twitter profile. You can also visit our YouTube channel - get inspired and share Worktalk's vision with others.
Work well
Geoff Shattock
© Copyright 2024 Geoff Shattock
All GEOFFSHATTOCKweekly archives are for personal use only. For permission to use for any other purposes please email using the address below thank you.
WORKTALK LEARNING
1 Washington Villas, Hythe Road, Marchwood, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 4WT United Kingdom
T:+44 (0)23 8086 8543
http://www.geoffshattock.com
comms@worktalk.gs
