The summer of 2010 is rapidly drawing to a close. In a few more weeks, the leaves on the trees will begin to change color and fall to the ground. Temperatures will soon begin to turn toward the cool end of the scale.

As the hazy, lazy days of summer wind down, I can sense an almost audible sigh of depression across the land. Part of this sigh comes from the mouths of our children because they know that it won’t be long until they’ll be back behind their desks wrestling with homework and tests and papers and projects. Soon they can look forward to enjoying those wonderful mystery meat entrees in their school cafeterias each day at lunch!

And, whereas the start of school brings parents some measure of cheer, they are also somewhat despondent, because vacations are over. It’s back to the hectic pace of life with no extended break to anticipate for an entire year. Now all they have to look forward to is the brief weekend respite from each week’s labors, before once more they spend every Monday morning, mourning Monday.

At this depressing time of year, most of us can identify with the bumper sticker I’ve seen so often in this area that says, “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to work.” If you feel that way you are not alone. A 2003 survey by the Society of Human Resources found that eight out of ten workers wanted to leave their jobs. Stats also tell us that more heart-attacks happen between 8AM and 9AM on Mondays than during any other time—indicating that many people look at their jobs as nothing but

stress-inducing labor.

The Bible teaches that our attitude about work wasn’t meant to be like this. Ecclesiastes 3:21 says, “So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here!” Please note—in this verse Solomon didn’t say, “There is nothing better for people than to have work that makes them happy.” No—the emphasis is on our being happy in your work, not on our work making us happy.

The way to be happy in our work is to think of our careers as a calling. The way to find fulfillment Monday through Friday is to realize that God has placed us in our jobs for a purpose, understanding that your work place—whether it’s inside an office building or at various sales call sites—is your mission field.

Your job is the good work that God Himself prepared in advance for you to do! (Ephesians 2:10) When we re-frame our careers in this way we learn to make an eternal difference while on the job—and nothing brings us more joy.

So, as Isaiah 55:2 says, “Why labor on what does not satisfy?” Don’t just work to make money—ask God to help you see ways to use your work to share His love. Only then will your labor bring the satisfaction you long for—far more satisfaction than a week at the beach!

Keep the SON in your eyes!

Recently, as a way of celebrating Daniel’s birthday, our family decided to “Go Ape” by tackling the new ropes/zip line course that has been built in the trees of Needwood Park. After we (Daniel, Ashley, Sue, Sarah, Becca, cousin Kate, and I) suited up in a special climbing belt, we listened intently to the safety lecture. Our guide repeatedly explained the risks—and the rules:

• Always stay attached to the safety lines.
• When arriving at a platform, secure the red carabineer first, then the blue.
• Put your carabineers on in the “closed and opposed” position so as to lessen the likelihood of accidentally releasing one.
• When attaching to a cable, do so “blue on blue:” first the blue pulley then the blue carabineer, then the red carabineer.
• When not using your pulley, “park” it by snapping it to your belt.

Our guide carefully explained how to “hit” the nets at the end of a swing and how to “land” at the base of a zip line. He taught us how to use the “no fall” — safety systems designed to keep you from falling off one of the ladders. Then he showed us how to use our equipment at a practice station where everything was low to the ground, carefully reviewing each rule over and over again. I’m happy to say we followed all his instructions and had a GREAT time. No one got hurt and we made a lot of wonderful family memories as we climbed and swung and zipped along high up in the trees of Rock Creek Park.

As we went through the five Go Ape! stations, I couldn’t help but think of all the spiritual parallels. Here are a few examples:

God’s rules—carefully recorded in the Scriptures—are given to help guide us safely through life in this fallen, dangerous, world. Life works best when we live by the principles and precepts that He put in His book. As we “…trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding—as we acknowledge Him in all our ways—He makes our paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:4-6).

The more we discipline ourselves to obey God’s rules—the more they become second nature. By the end of our time at Go Ape! I was doing “closed and opposed” and “blue on blue” without even thinking. It works the same way in the Christian life. Through spiritual disciplines like daily prayer and Bible study, we become spiritually-disciplined people. Experience teaches us that we are “…blessed if we walk according to the law of the Lord…that it is best to keep His statutes.” (Psalm 119:2)

Throughout the day we watched out for each other, making sure we followed safety procedures and urging each other on through the more difficult parts. Hebrews 10:24-5 came to mind: “Let us encourage one another…let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” All Christians need fellow “climbers” as they go through life.

Here’s one more. The last Go Ape! station is very close to the road and as we made our way through it we noticed that cars had stopped to watch. In the same way people who don’t know God are watching us as we “swing” through life. They are looking for something they can rely on so they watch to see if our Christian faith works. This is why Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your Father Who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Keep climbing—and as you do, keep the SON in your eyes!

Are you a baseball fan? If so, you already know about Detroit Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga’s near perfect game.

If not—let me fill you in. On June 2, 2010, Armando Galarraga almost became the 21^st pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfect game. Facing the Cleveland Indians, Galarraga retired the first 26 batters he faced, but his bid for a perfect game was ended one out short when first base umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly ruled that Indians batter Jason Donald reached first base safely on a ground ball (an instant replay showed the runner was clearly out).

Thanks to Joyce’s bad call Galarraga won’t be memorialized in the Hall of Fame, as all perfectly pitched games are. No—that accomplishment was taken away with that bad call on the last out.

But it’s not as bad as it seems, because Galarraga will be remembered for something greater: his response to the injustice. Perhaps you saw it on the news. Immediately after umpire James Joyce called the runner safe, Galarraga smiled. Anyone who’s ever watched a baseball game knows how most players would have responded. But Galarraga just smiled—a “you’ve got to be kidding me” smile—but a smile nonetheless—and then he went back to the mound and got the last out.

The umpire’s response was equally praiseworthy. Joyce was tearful and apologetic to Galarraga after the game when he realized he had made the incorrect call. Galarraga was forgiving and understanding of the mistake, and voiced support for Joyce. The sportsmanship demonstrated by Galarraga and Joyce earned them both widespread praise for their handling of the incident.

I mention this because the truth is that “blown calls” are a fact of life. They come at us in different ways: The boss who gives credit to the wrong guy; the teenager who blames everyone else for their own insolence; the complaining fellow believer whose focus is on the negative. The result is that sometimes you get short-changed. You deserve credit, but credit doesn’t come your way, thanks to someone else’s bad judgment. It’s happened to each of us before, and it will certainly happen again.

In his Monday Memo, Steve May writes, “In Galarraga, we see how to respond. You don’t lash out. You don’t lose your head. You smile and go back to work. You do your job with excellence, even when you have to deal with a little unfairness along the way. Galarraga didn’t get the perfect game he deserved. But he did show fans everywhere how a sportsman plays the game.”

I’m reminded of how Paul praised the believers in Thessalonica for their example in the face of suffering: “And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia…your faith has become known everywhere.” (1^st Thessalonians 1:7-8)

Today, you have a chance to show your corner of the world how a believer responds: to setbacks, to struggles, to criticism, to conflict, to disappointment, to injustice. So, don’t lash out. Don’t lose your head. Smile and keep doing your job with excellence. Others will notice.

Keep the SON in your eyes!