THE GRIT AND GRACE PROJECT, INC.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA

So, fellow fashionistas, or wary wearer, give Le Tote a try. You might love it. And if not, you might just help me get to San Fran. You should be worried when there are red flags (behaviors or qualities that you have always told yourself you weren’t going to tolerate) and you find yourself making excuses or telling yourself that it will get better or that he will change after you are married. It won’t and he won’t. You are feeling this way for a reason, and you need to get the issues addressed prior to saying “I do.” No one is perfect, and we all have our deficits. It’s not about choosing the perfect man; it’s about choosing the perfect man . Look honestly at his shortcomings and the things that bother you about him. Ask yourself if this is an issue that you are willing to live with for the rest of your life. If your honest answer is yes, you are good to go! If the answer is no, trust yourself and know it’s time to have a heart to heart conversation with your man and it may be time to seek professional help. I also think of James when long days try to convince me that I am the only one doing all the work, that no one struggles as I do. I know the messages are untrue because every year, his efforts bloom in our garden. Every year, I benefit from his sacrifice. “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” Our God is a Gardener. He loves seeds and sowing and reaping. I cannot forget that growth is coming, growth caused by the Gardener. I must delight in my part, delight in the privilege of participating. The rewards will come. And if we are as fortunate as James, others will benefit from our labor, from our struggle, long after we are home. Each day, we wake up and set out to do some sort of work. For many, we spend from 8ish to 5ish doing our assigned duties to earn a living. Some may find deeper purpose and calling in the position that they are in than others, and some work in unpaid areas for the benefit and well being of their families. Upon exiting college and entering into a full-time position, I thought I had scored my dream job working administratively for a Christian missions organization. As I experienced the office culture and break down of what I wanted adult life to look like, a sort of sadness came for the loss of my expectations. I wanted to have more time with my friends. I wanted to enjoy my job and co-workers. I wanted to feel like I belonged there and like I had a purpose in each task. However, my reality is spreadsheets and data entry, frustrating conversations, and unmatched ideals. I was exhausted and wanted to run away in hopes that something better, something more fulfilling was out there, but in my heart, I knew God had led me to this job for this time. The pieces had come together in such a way that there was no other explanation than His hand joining them. I know that at least for now, I am to stay in that position, with faith that God knows what He is doing with me. As Christian women, whether SAHMs, students, waitresses, assistants, managers, or CEOs, we are held to the same commission that “whatever [we] do, [we are to] work heartily, as for the Lord and not for others” as Colossians 3:23 instructs. We are called to work in some capacity and are to do it well, with invested hearts. It’s a verse we’ve likely heard but find harder to draw encouragement from when work becomes hard on the heart; when we become weary and We are called to work in some capacity and are to do it well, with invested hearts…with faith that God knows what He is doing with us. We often know what we are supposed to do or how we are supposed to do it, but the practicals get lost in our hopes for the ideals. We must break down those perfect pictures in our heads, take life one day at a time, and remember the faith we have and the God to whom we belong. As our jobs become less than ideal, whether it happens suddenly or over time, we can cling to these truths for a much-needed change of perception. In the Bible, there are countless stories of God providing for the needs of His people. One way He provides for many of us is through our paychecks. We are able to pay for food, housing, clothing, and even more blessings because He has given us a job for which we are paid. Let us be thankful and do our work with honesty as it is a grace that we get to be compensated. Romans 12:1 says, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him” (The Message). We can praise God for who He is by reflecting Him in our work. We can be honest, diligent, and loving because we have a reward far greater than a Friday deposit. Our work is a way of doing great things—or what seem to be just ordinary things—in significant ways as we are loved and sought after by the Greatest. Let our work show that we are working for One higher than the institution we are placed in. Romans tells us in chapter 13 that God sets all authorities in place. As He has fought for our good, we can submit ourselves to our superiors in the workplace because we know that we are ultimately serving Him, which will always be worth it, even if we don’t get to see the “good fruit” for a while. If we remember all the ways The search for fulfillment through advancement, promotion, and recognition in a job is a tireless one. Any glimpse of such success is satisfying for just a small moment. In my position at a non-profit, I often feel like I should be serving in a more hands-on way. It can feel as though administration is not enough to do the will of God; but in reality, we are placed in our exact position, city, company, office, because the Lord knows it will work out for our good and the good of others. Our ultimate purpose in life is to give glory to Him in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Yes, that seems rather vague and hard to apply most of the time but it’s in remembering and living out the “smaller” truths He’s given us that we glorify Him in all that we do, including our work.