What does WHATEVER look like?

Several days ago, I woke with a headache. When it continued for several hours I knew I needed to figure it out. (When something’s not right, I almost always have some spiritual lesson to learn from it.) I've gotten stress headaches when I was working, but I'm not working right now, so what's this all about?

Actually, not having a regular job right now has been very liberating. I feel free to explore new channels of thought. But fear of my financial situation was nagging at me, but I’d been putting off dealing with it.

I often learn lessons from ideas and stories that come to me and what came to me is the Bible story of The Prodigal.

Here’s the gist of the story: A father has two sons, and the younger asks for his inheritance early and then runs off and squanders it all on "riotous living." The older son feels slighted when his father welcomes his repentant younger son home with open arms and throws a big party for him. The father has to assure the older son that it is right to celebrate. They weren't celebrating his departure and mistakes, they were rejoicing in his homecoming. The father also assures the older son that all that they had belongs to him too.

Both brothers were sons of their father, who loved them both. This applies to me too. I have the divine Father-Mother's constant love for me.

Down whatever path all this freedom I feel right now is leading me, I'm still being loved and guided by my divine Parent. In what feels like uncharted territory, I'm confident that God is the navigator. If I'm sincerely listening to the creative and guiding Mind and really trying to follow His direction, then I can count on being benefited. After all, the younger son couldn’t come home and witness this extraordinary act of love by his father if he’d never taken his journey. Wherever my journey is taking me, I can never leave my Father’s presence and care, and I’m confident that I’ll feel His/Her love for me throughout.

And in fact, good things are already happening. My roommate has just assured me I don't have to worry about paying for rent or food for a while. She's glad to have me here anyway. That's sweet, and I'm so grateful! She sees that I am being helpful and that she is not alone with me here. I have a purpose here. I hadn’t really seen that before.

Seems like I kept thinking that “success” or “career” had to look a certain way, but wouldn't it be nice to have a job where you do whatever is needed that day? What variety! What challenge! What adventure! Everyday would be different and new. It might even grow into a career - one that’s helpful, satisfying, and financially rewarding.

When I started thinking along these lines, I saw that there were infinite possibilities I hadn’t seen before. Later, I realized my headache was gone, and I had a whole new concept of what work could be. It can be... whatever! Whatever is needed.

And what should I expect as pay? Same thing. Whatever! Whatever I need.

So, yesterday I spent the whole day helping people. I gave a friend a lesson on how to use her computer, and for another friend I ran errands and made lunch. And they paid me for my work. I am so grateful! And best of all, I loved helping them.

I now know how to go forward. I'll open up to ideas that come to me and see what comes. I’ll do whatever is needed day by day. And I’ll expect to be sustained in whatever ways are real benefit to me, and expect too that I will enjoy the work.

I’ll let you know what Whatever looks like. And what blessings it brings.

Your life speaks. What is it saying?

The quality of our work, the unselfish motives behind it, and the dignity with which we do it, send a bigger message than our title or job description ever will. Here's a song that expressed this idea for me:


Let the work that I've done speak for me

(African- American Spiritual)

Sung by Joe Carter

Let the work that I’ve done speak for me

Let the work that I’ve done speak for me

When I come to the end of this road

And I lay down this old heavy load

Let the work that I’ve done speak for me

Let the life that I’ve lived speak for me

Let the life that I’ve lived speak for me

When I come to the end of this road

And I lay down this old heavy load

Let the life that I’ve lived speak for me

Let the prayers that I’ve prayed speak for me

Let the prayers that I’ve prayed speak for me

When I’ve done the very best that I can

And if my friends don’t understand

Let the prayers that I’ve prayed speak for me

Let the love that I’ve shared speak for me

Let the love that I’ve shared Lord speak for me

When I come to the end of this road

And I lay down this old heavy load

Let the life that I’ve lived speak for me

Let the prayers that I’ve prayed speak for me

Let the love that I’ve shared speak for me

To hear this song, click on the link below. Then click on the SOF Playlist. This song is #11 at the bottom of the screen.

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/joecarter/index.shtml#musicalscore

Mary Baker Eddy puts this thought this way:

"The objects we pursue and the spirit we manifest
reveal our standpoint, and show what we are winning."

Science and Health p. 239

Take my infinite good – please!

When out of work, what’s a person who likes to eat, and drive, and pay their bills supposed to do? That’s what I’m asking myself today. I’ve been looking in the classifieds. Pretty depressing. They all want skills or experience I don’t possess. Or else, I'm supposed to drive a paper route - BYOT (Bring your own truck.)

I just want to be of assistance to others. Really! I NEED to be of help to somebody. I need to GIVE.

It’s a lesson I learned a few years back:

I had gotten my ticket for a show that a friend of mine and I were going to. Her ticket was in a lousy location and mine was great. Spontaneously I traded tickets with her insisting that she have the better seat. She was thrilled.

It wasn’t until after she left with the great ticket in hand that I realized what I’d done. I’d traded away my great seat for this lousy one! What was I thinking?!

Okay. I had two hours until the start of the show to get really depressed about it. That was easy. I accomplished that pretty thoroughly in about 20 minutes!

Then I decided to try to think differently about it. And a kind of law popped into my head. It said: If you need something, you need to give something. Hmmm, interesting concept, I thought.

I tried to think what I could give. I was out of town, hadn’t brought anything with me. No extra money. Then I realized I did have something valuable. I had ME! I could DO something. I could volunteer for something.

I went to the event coordinator’s office and asked if I could volunteer for something. They were pleased that I offered, and set me up as an usher at the back door of the event. Okay. This prospect sounded boring, but at least it gave me something I could do.

To my surprise, I actually enjoyed helping to direct the ticket holders to their seats. It was fun greeting people and being of assistance. After a short while, the manager told me I was free to leave my post and go enjoy the show, and I could sit anywhere I wanted. I went in and quickly found a wonderful seat, even better than the one I’d given away. Later I checked back with the ushers, but was no longer needed. I was free to go enjoy. And enjoy, I did.

Later I analyzed why my volunteering experience worked so well as an antidote to my initial fear and disappointment. First, I didn’t volunteer with an ulterior motive of receiving a better ticket or some compensation…except to wash the bitter taste of fear that threatened to spoil my whole day out of my mouth. Instinctively I knew that doing something good and unselfish, makes you feel better. But there was more to it than that.

I think my act of giving was an affirmation that good is not limited, and my giving good to my friend couldn’t deprive me of abundant good for myself. My ability and desire to volunteer was proof of the constant presence of good, unlimited and abundant, even after I thought I’d given it away.

So, even now when I’m looking for my next opportunity for employment, I’m convinced that if I can give something, then some good will have to come of it.

I think I need to make myself a note:

Whenever you’re lacking something,

You need to give something.

So, I’m now giving this little experience of mine to you, and hope it will somehow bless you, too.

Desired position: Cheerleader

Well, here I am looking for meaningful employment. Seems like I'm almost always working...so during this time of not working I've had welcome time to think. It’s great! I should do this more often. (Think, I mean…Not be unemployed.)

And I’ve come to the conclusion that I don't want to do the same kind of work I've been doing. I've been working in offices for the better part of my working life. Shuffling papers, filing papers, making copies of papers... But I’ve got other skills too, and I'd like to try using them in a larger way in my next job.

I didn't really acknowledge I had unique skills until recently. Or that my skills were really valuable. Well, to me, yes! But are they valuable to other people? I mean, can I get paid for them? …don't know yet.

Frankly, I’ve never put this set of skills on my resume in so many words. What would people think? Would employers really want to hire someone like me? Would doing something that I really like somehow disqualify me for “real” work?

But it’s time for a change…so, I guess I’ll just blurt it out.

The skills I’m talking about are those of being supportive of other people. Sounds trivial, I know, but I think these are very desirable things. And they do make up a large part of my identity. For me, it’s different than being a good schmooser at networking events. More than being sociable at parties. More than being nice and sweet (although I have to admit, I think I am.)

It’s being a cheerleader for people. (Now, put that picture right out of your head… I don’t do pom-poms!)

But when a friend or fellow-worker has a pet project that they’re really into, I naturally find myself rooting for them, encouraging and supporting their efforts. And instantly, their endeavor becomes an important thing in my world too. I want to hear that they’re doing well, and encourage them when they're not. I want to get involved, roll up my sleeves, understand and help them if I can. And this type of thing happens over and over. It just comes naturally for me.

Example: I have a friend who started learning all about investing about a year ago. I knew nothing of investing, and had little interest at that point in doing it myself, but as soon as my friend started talking about how into it he was becoming, I became more interested too. I asked him to explain it to me, and we talked ‘til the wee hours. I listened as he showed me all about his strategies, what he was learning from his successes and his mistakes. When we finally parted at 2:00 am, I encouraged him to keep up the good work, and keep me informed on his progress. Throughout the year, whenever I would think of my friend, I’d bless his investing endeavors. And encourage him in my prayers.

Just the other day, I was elated to hear that one year later, he’s quit his day job and is now supporting his family with his investing. Isn’t that great? How cool is that? His persistent and diligent efforts are paying off. And I feel like I took that journey with him, in some small way. And I enjoyed cheering-on his progress.

I have no way to measure how much help I might have been to him with my long-distance blessings and prayers, but he appreciated my encouragement when he was first starting out, and my delight to hear of his success now that he’s doing well. And the journey has been wonderful for both of us.

This world can seem pretty uncaring. Wouldn’t it be great to have your own personal cheerleader?

Two, Four, Six, Eight,

Who do we APPRECIATE?

You! You! YOU!!

(Well, maybe without all the shouting and jumping around.)

I don’t know what kind of a job I can get doing that, but I’ve had lots of experience. And my friends and co-workers know I care. That’s got to be worth something.