The answer is no, I try very hard not to bring work home with me, except in the most extenuating circumstances. However, lately I've been spending a lot of extra time at school. It's always tough at the beginning of the year to get things going and stay on top of things. I guess that's why I've been feeling tired and run down lately, from all the hard work and the stress I let myself feel for it all.
The truth is, as a teacher at a Christian school, the word "ministry" gets thrown around a lot, as in this isn't just my job but it's also my ministry. That word carries with it some hefty implications. Usually when people talk about ministry like that, they are expressing a set of expectations that go beyond what we typically think of a job. In a ministry, people expect more of your time, more of your energy, more of yourself. I'm not insinuating that giving of yourself is a bad thing. However, in talking about ministry people also often refer to one who is "doing the Lord's work."
This is the point that starts to rub me wrong. If I choose to give of myself for a ministry, then that's wonderful. But why do we naturally assume that anything titled a "ministry" must be the Lord's work?
When I decided to join staff with Crusade, people often congratulated me and expressed appreciation for me doing the Lord's work. But in some ways, that implies that I was not doing the Lord's work before. And what about after?
What makes us call some things the Lord's work and not others? If we are about God, is not everything about the Lord's work?
I have been reading this book lately called Spirituality for the Rest of Us. The author brings up the issue of those of us who don't necessarily aspire to what our culture would call "great things." Many people have grown up hearing that God desires to do great things with His people, that He has big plans and great dreams from us. For some people, that's incredibly exciting. And for other people, that's incredibly stressful.
There are people who don't aspire to greatness. They may aspire to great impact, but on a smaller sphere. They may desire to serve God with all their hearts, but may do so by being a wonderful mother. They may desire to share Christ, but may never go to Africa. They may simply aspire to a quiet life lived in honor of God.
The author also points out that there is Biblical support for this idea. Although we all love to sing Paul's praises, there was only one Paul. When Paul moved throughout the ancient world, he shared Christ with average, ordinary people. Those people were carpenters, mothers, cobblers, etc. Some of them stepped up to lead, but others were content to follow. But whether they led or followed, they all were lights for Christ right where they were. Paul didn't leave behind thousands of other Pauls, although he did train up some wonderful leaders like Timothy, but he left behind ordinary people who were dedicated to God.
Which brings me back to this job... although I truly enjoy being a teacher and truly love the school, I can't say that I feel like this job is my purpose in life. It's my job and it may even be my ministry for now. I will give of myself there as I can. But I truly feel that my "Lord's work" and my greatest impact will not be at school, with children I only spend ten months with, but with my family. And so, while I enjoy my job, I still won't be bringing home work, but I'll be spending my evenings with my fabulous hubby.
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