September 2 – Work Ethic

        Col. 3:22-24 – ".....obey your earthly masters in everything; do it, not only when they are watching and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and respect for the Master. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you were working directly for the Master, and not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Master as a reward. It is Christ you are serving."

        Do you want peace on your job? Do you want to reduce the amount of drama? Do you want to increase your chances for a raise? Then simply obey the verses in Colossians. Everything we do should be a reflection of the good things that God is doing in our lives.

        Well, what if I don't like my job? What if my boss is a jerk? What if I can never please my superiors? Firstly, we should take stock of our own behavior and attitude, and adjust it accordingly. We cannot control the actions of others, only that of ourselves. Remember, that it is God who is looking out for us, when we choose to obey him. Gal. 6:7 states that we also reap what we sow. So, God will remember all of our actions and repay us accordingly. Do you want a good return? Then, do your positive part up-front. If you give that employer 102%, it will return to you in a positive manner.

        I recently took home an older vacuum cleaner from my workplace. The upright shaft for pushing around the vacuum had become worn and in disrepair, so that one could barely push the machine normally. Someone had duct-taped the two metal adjustable pieces together, thus producing a shoddy, incomplete repair that probably worked in the short-term. I removed the old repair, fixed the metal tubing, cleaned all the parts, then used epoxy to solidify a repair of the shaft – all of this on my own time. I returned the machine to working condition on the job, as a favor to my employer, who was quite happy and a little surprised at my initiative.

        So, even if you are just sweeping a floor, do it to the best of your ability, because God is watching, to bless you. And don't forget Titus 2:10b, "....so that in every way we make the teaching about God our savior, attractive."

September 1 – Bus trip to Tak

        Psalm 29:3 – "Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due his name; worship him in the splendor of his holiness."

        Psalm 68:34 – "Ascribe power to God. His majesty is over Israel, his power among the clouds."

        I have a friend who wrote a small book titled "Did God Really Do That?" It contained short stories of events in his life, in which things happened so unexpectedly favorable, that there was no denying that God was working within the situation. In modern-day conversation and writing, the word "ascribe" is one that is used very little, if at all. It is a verb that means "to give credit to". My friend gave credit to God for the details of his stories.

        This story is from November, 2008. It was my third trip, traveling alone to Thailand to volunteer at a Christian school for Karen refugee kids. I had made hotel reservations for one night after arriving in Bangkok. I decided this trip to not stay downtown, but instead to stay on the outskirts. After a good night's rest, I caught a ride to the nearest bus station, anticipating an early ride to my destination, Mae Sot, eight hours away. When I got to the bus station, I was told that this particular line did not travel to Mae Sot. I had to take the line leaving from downtown!

        So I hopped the bus for downtown and caught the second bus heading for Tak, which was the next-to-last stop before Mae Sot. After a day on the bus, I finally arrived in Tak at sunset. I inquired of the bus to Mae Sot; I was informed that the last bus had already left for Mae Sot. With my heavy luggage, I thought I was going to have to spend the night in the bus station, which was basically a large outdoor area – with a hundred other people, just milling around or waiting on their rides home. I started to mentally prepare myself for that fate, as I did not know of any accommodations in Tak.

        Instead, a Thai woman immediately approached me, speaking very good English. Apparently, she knew that I seemed to be in dire straits. She offered to give me a ride to Mae Sot, for a certain amount of money. That amount was higher than normal, but not too outrageous. I took her offer; she produced a van driver, who drove me over the mountains in the dark, and dropped me off at the local hotel. I then called my contact, who came and picked me up.

        My unexpected and sudden stroke of luck was no such thing. It was God, who knew of my bus line mistake, and who provided a ride for me that evening, when I thought I was stuck. Thank you God, for watching over me.  Yes, God really did that!