The majority of my life growing up, Bud Wilson worked graveyard shift, or 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. That meant that I watched him roll out of bed around nine every night, eat supper/breakfast (it’s a confusing lifestyle), shave, dress and breeze out the door by ten. While we slept, he worked. I would not appreciate that sacrifice until much later in my life, when I too adopted the “midnight” shift as my own for several years. While there are advantages, there are many disadvantages too. You miss a lot of your family’s life, as you try to catch a few hours of precious sleep. You never get “good” rest; it wears your mind and your body out prematurely. You live on caffeine, sugar and grease; you run on empty more than you care to admit. I have often wondered how many days of Dad’s life may have been shortened by shift work; I’ve wondered the same for myself.
At the time, I thought Dad made good money working in a union plant for a major automobile company. After he was gone, I ran across some of his pay stubs, and realized that what I thought was “big money” was just a modest living wage for a family of five. Dad worked hard for that, and I don’t know that I ever thanked him enough.
Even during the day, when Bud could have been getting some rest, he often spent his time fixing fences, working in tobacco and hauling hay. He kept the farm where we grew up in pristine condition, cleaning the underbrush from the wood lots and bush hogging the pastures. He enjoyed work, and for him it gave great satisfaction.
I learned that life lesson from him growing up and now that my children are grown, I can see that the work ethic passed through, even though I didn’t know it at the time. My son worked a variety of jobs from the time he was ten years old until his untimely death. My daughter worked throughout high school, and now as a stay at home mom, she provides a domestic environment that is clean, warm and inviting. Her husband is a solid father and provider and I’m proud of them all.
Why is this important? Because a solid work ethic is a lost art in the world we live in today. As I write these words, there are people camped in every major city in this country to “occupy” business and government, expecting a job, benefits, the cancellation of debt- you name it. An even larger number of people feel the same way; they just lack the initiative to even sit in the cold and demand a handout.
Please understand; I know times are hard. I know that people are frustrated. But we have to be willing to work for what we get. It’s not just a principle of capitalism; it’s a principle of faith. The first thing God gave Adam was a job as a gardener. He had to work, even before the fall of man. He just had to break a sweat after the curse of sin. Likewise, Proverbs says to consider the ant, in its working ways, and Paul says that if a man doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat. More importantly, he also said that a man that doesn’t care for his family is worse than an unbeliever and unworthy of the Christian faith. The idea of a solid work ethic is pervasive throughout the Bible.
This world needs a people that are willing to work for what they have. This country needs a work ethic in order to succeed. Your family needs you- it’s your responsibility. You; not the government, the church or your parents- You.
If you want to be successful, work is the way to do it. Yogi Berra said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” That’s very true. Publisher’s Clearing House is probably not coming to your house with a check. I’m not saying you have to dig ditches for a living; but find something that you are good at and do it.
A lot of people are looking for their dream job, but believe me, sometimes you have to learn to love what you do. I think we set our kids up for disappointment sometimes when we ask them, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Because really, it’s more about what you have to be than what you want to be; after all, there are only so many baseball players and ballerinas.
So if you work, be proud of what you do. Putting shoes on your children’s feet, a roof over their head and food on the table is God’s way of showing them His love through you. It’s gratifying and satisfying. We were made to love and made to live. But we were also made to work.
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