On Work

 “If you choose something you are passionate about you’ll never work a day in your life.” I wholeheartedly disagree.

For most of my early twenties I hoped for the statement above to be true. Doesn’t it sound nice? I’ve found it to be utterly dishonest.
Work, no matter the job has moments that are hard. Moments where you have to choose it all over again.
And don’t even get me started about work-life balance.
What are we balancing exactly? Why does our life stop the moment we start working?This metaphor leads to compartmentalization that isn’t sustainable. I’m not a robot. I bring my full self wherever I am.
It seems like we either treat work as what we do to get through to truly live or we make our living -fully working.
Either we are career/calling driven or we are complacent/waffling.
What if we showed up fully as ourselves in every space we are in? What if saw work as good and hard? What if our work was apart of our whole life -the only one we’ve been given life.
I think this looks like holding the tension in the waiting for whatever may or may not come. Being ready to jump when you know in your bones what is before you is yours to do. Because believe me, I know there are moments in our lives when there are specific assignments given by God. People and places to love. There is also a lot of work we place before ourselves that isn’t ours to do at all. Our complacency not only keeps us stuck, but robs another from work that could bring deep joy.
When I think of the work offered to Mary I think about how she had to loosen her grip on how things should have been. She shifted everything after one intimate moment. I, on the other hand, need about 10,000 messages in various formats to see the picture and take the jump. Anyone else as stubborn?

Regardless, no matter the work it’s what is in front of us today that is ours to do. That’s it. Fully bringing ourselves. And holding it all loosely enough that when we are told to go we do. I’m so grateful for work. For a body that allows me to do so. For the joy it brings to finish a task.
I hope I work on something everyday of my life. That’s what I’m passionate about.