Playing The Scales - I Hate This Key

Playing the Scales - I Hate This Key

If you can’t be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape. —Anonymous

JUST A COUPLE of months before Kelly left for Mt. Hood, changing Karen’s life forever, I was driving home from work while wallowing in a pity puddle. I was in the midst of the most complex, difficult consulting engagement of my career, frustrated to the nines, and bone tired. I had worked 110 days straight—some days putting in twelve- to fourteen-hour days. Work/life balance? I had lost my way.

As I drove home, in the pouring rain no less, I was lamenting how bad my work situation was. Then I came upon an old, white, beat-up pickup truck loaded with construction supplies. The truck was heaped high with shovels, bags of “something,” and other tools. Then I saw a leg. No . . . two legs. No . . . four.

Buried amongst the construction and debris were day laborers trying to protect themselves from the weather as they headed home from their day of backbreaking work. Girlfriends, this was inhumane: these men had to provide hard manual labor for something below minimum wage and then ride home while exposed to the elements. The sight of these men lying in the back of the pickup knocked me right off my pity potty.

As I drove in my four-door luxury sedan, nestled on my heated seats, listening to Frank Sinatra via my satellite radio, God snapped me out of my mind-numbing scale of “This job stinks.” With one crystal clear visual on a stormy night, he reminded me of the charmed life I live.

Regardless of the corporate rat race we run; regardless of our struggles to be heard; regardless of the political maneuvering within our organization, we are a privileged lot and must stop playing in the key of “I hate this job.”

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Switch keys from self-pity to gratitude. You are a richly blessed person (whether or not you have heated seats in your car).