Day 6 | Hazel’s story

Reflection

Hazel is a secondary school teacher. Her days look something like this…

Eat. Iron. Pack lunches. Drop off, kids. Teach. Prepare lessons. Pick up, kids. Dinner. Homework. TV. Activity clubs. Teeth. Bath. Bedtime. Sleep. Repeat.

And, occasionally, there’s a bit of me time thrown in there. For Hazel, life is busy – really busy.

Perhaps your days look something like this. At the end of the day, you’re simply exhausted from mundane rhythms and everyday tasks. And if you were asked how God had been at work in your day, you wouldn’t know what to say. There were no flashing lights or conversations that led to the conversion of your colleagues – your life feels ordinary and predictable.

Hazel’s day might not sound remarkable to you. But it is. She goes about her everyday with Jesus at her side, integrating her walk with the Lord into everything she does. Whether that’s showing supernatural patience towards her children when they throw a tantrum, approaching tricky discipline conversations at school with gentleness and self-control, or finding two minutes in her jam-packed day to show a colleague they’re loved by making them a cup of tea.

This is what her colleagues, Christian or not, do as well. But Hazel knows that as she works away at all the stuff that takes up her time, she works for the peace and prosperity of the places she finds herself. Her school, her family, her friendships. She is an agent of shalom – bringing peace, harmony, and wholeness.

So, this is the truth. Whether we feel it or not, we all have God-given purpose in our daily tasks. And that means that we can find joy and contentment in our daily tasks, even if they seem monotonous or we can’t see the fruits of our labours. What a blessing.

Father, help me see every moment, every task, and every day as an opportunity to point others to you and to make my workplace, home, and community more like heaven. Amen.