As I post this week's article, it is Labor Day. There is a reason that our nation established a national holiday related to work and also a strong biblical reason and connection for work. My good friend of almost sixty years, Dr. William Tinsley wrote an excellent article last week that covers both of these bases for work in a clear and powerful way. I encourage you to read his article rather than my duplicating it here. You may find it at this link:
reflectionscolumns.blogspot.com His article is "Significance of Labor Day" posted last Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
This week I want to share that a good work ethic can be passed along within a family. Each member of both my family and my wife's family worked hard, laboring to support their families and to make a difference in the lives of others as well.
My maternal grandparents were farmers. They were usually up every morning by 4:30 to begin the chores of feeding the cows, milking the one milk cow, and getting breakfast cooked. After breakfast, the cows went out to pasture, eggs were gathered, butter was churned, the garden was picked, clothes were washed, fields were plowed and planted, and lunch was cooked. The day continued in much the same way with more work to be done. My parents weren't farmers but they both worked hard. My mother worked in a bank and then in purchasing at the V.A. Hospital. My father worked at the credit union at the V.A, and sometimes on weekends at the funeral home. Needless to say, my sister and myself had a great example set for us of what it means to work and do work that was worthwhile.
My wife's paternal grandfather was a coal miner in Pennsylvania. I can't even imagine the difficulty and amount of labor he put forth every day. His son, my wife's father began working on the loading dock of an oil refinery in Montana after WWII. Over thirty years of shift working, he moved up in responsibility within the refinery until he was the safety director there and then transferred to a much larger refinery to be safety director in Lake Charles, LA. Mary's mother was a homemaker who worked hard keeping everything running smoothly in the family. Mary and her sister both worked continuously through college and after until retirement.
My wife Mary taught students in elementary school for 31 years. I served in the ministry for 50 years. Both of our children have carried on the tradition of a good work ethic that has been passed on to their children - our grandchildren.
Don't misunderstand in thinking we are a family who are perfect in all of our work habits. Everyone would rather have a few more vacation days; sleep in an extra morning or two; and expereince a few compliments along the way and perhaps even a raise. But a good work ethic implies showing up, doing your best, encouraging co-workers, and helping family members to develop their own good work ethic.
I am confident that within our nation and our world that there are countless numbers of people and families whose testimonies regarding work would be similar to ours and even greater. Today I encourage you to read or reread Dr. Tinsley's article listed earlier in this post and then write your own story of your family's work ethic and legacy. Doing this may give you a fresh reason to truly celebrate Labor Day.
Comments