It is funny how the substances of that word changes over time. One moment coffee every morning is a priority and then fresh squeezed juice is the priority. This really isn’t one for me. Coffee is pretty darn important. But it could change.
I write about this because in my life in the last year or so, my priorities have shifted once again. Sleep used to be a priority and now I’m just grateful for what I get. Education was once a priority (one I didn’t care for but knew I had to have to make it through) and then I graduated. Now paying back my student loans is a priority.
But the biggest shift and most surprising (for me anyway) is family life and my job. I love my family and I love my job. My job allows me to reach more people than I ever could imagine. It allows me to help when there is pain or needs to be met. It allows me to see God work in dark and ugly situations that seem completely out of control and out of God’s care. But we are never out of His care and love. It just sometimes hurts like hell. My job allows me to get over myself. One of the core principles we are taught and teach to new advocates is to not be judgmental. I meet people that are not like me. I meet people that smell in really bad unimaginable ways. I meet people that are difficult to like. I meet people that make you want to hit them really hard until some common sense enters their head. I meet people that are nice. I meet people whose lives took a hard hit and they are doing everything to recover but can’t seem to get ahead. I meet people who are affluent. I could go on but I think you get my point. I get to meet all kinds of people and I love it. It is challenging to me. It pulls me out of my comfort zone and usually puts me in a very uncomfortable one. I still love it. I love being able to help people. I love the fight for justice – with those who can fight and for those who can’t.
Recently, our office was hit with a difficult situation, an employee that wasn’t a good or appropriate fit for victim services. But in a discussion with a co-worker I was asked why I disapprove of this employee. My answer was something along the lines of there was no passion for the job or victims. This job takes a lot of passion for what you are doing – without it, you cannot do it. I felt (and with good reason) the employee chose this job for a pay check. I will admit where I work, we make good money. We are lucky in that area. But the response from my co-worker was, “we all do it for a pay check.” I thought and answered, “no, I don’t.” I don’t do my job for a pay check. The money is just a nice extra, and yes, it helps and I work hard for it (ok, sometimes). But I don’t do this for the money. I do this because I have passion for people and for justice.
Until recently…that is. I am once again seeing my priorities shift. I love my family. I have a beautiful daughter that is everything to me and her father. She is so much fun to watch life happen through her eyes. I love watching her face light up as I enter a room or when her daddy gets home. The smile from a child will melt any heart and the laughter of a child can brighten the darkest of days. I’ve never seen a child under, I’ll say, age 4 laugh and not get an adult, teen, whoever to not at the very least smile if not laugh also. It is a drug, an intoxication that cannot be bought on the street or stores. There is nothing like it in all the world. Maybe that is what heaven is like – the laughter of a child. I want to see her discover life, her world around her, the backyard, the front yard, the play ground, bugs, the ocean, and so on. I don’t want to miss a moment, and yet moments are passing me by.
I love my husband. I even like my husband. I say that because I think liking is just as important as loving. If you don’t like someone, you probably don’t love them either. I love spending time with him. He makes me laugh. He spoils me silly. He is a good man. We may not always see eye to eye or have certain topics in common, but we still make it work, by the grace of God. He rubs my feet almost every day!! Can I tell you how wonderful and amazing that is to find in a man??? He started this with my pregnancy to help keep the swelling down in my feet and ankles and I thought it would stop after she was born. NOPE! Aren’t I the lucky one?
I’m sure there are some who would read that and say, “Lucky? Are you crazy? So he rubs your feet. He doesn’t believe in God or has turned his back on God. That isn’t lucky.” Well, maybe that isn’t lucky, but you see I don’t believe that God has abandoned my husband or our marriage. It is by the grace of God that our marriage is what it is. It is by His strength that we make it day to day, just as it is for both believing spouses. God loves me and God loves my husband, very much. So yes, aren’t I the lucky one!
But our family life is really hard right now. I work 9 hour days so I can have every other Wednesday off in order to have a day off with my husband. He works the grave yard shift and weekends. He is law enforcement and he puts his life on the line when he puts on his uniform. He goes to work usually on Friday nights and ends his work week on Tuesday mornings. My Little One goes to daycare for almost 10 hrs a day, except for Wednesdays and that is to give time for her and her dad. But when she gets home in the evenings, we have about 2 hrs to get her fed, bathed, play a little, give a bottle and put to bed by her bed time. Two hrs a day!
I began to look at our schedule one day and take account for the quality of life and it came up short. I love my job but I love, value and miss my family. What this all means, time will tell, but my priorities have shifted once again. It may mean new challenges, new sacrifices or whatever I can’t even see yet. But I say bring it on. By the grace of God, we can do whatever is needed. I’ve gotten the privilege of seeing God act in the lives of people over the last 4 yrs, so I know that He still acts. He meets people where they are and He will meet us. I have faith.
How are your priorities? What drives you? A shift in priorities maybe just what is needed or the day may sneak up on you when they changed and you didn’t even know it. I like those days. It makes me smile to realize I can still be surprised, even by myself.
I write about this because in my life in the last year or so, my priorities have shifted once again. Sleep used to be a priority and now I’m just grateful for what I get. Education was once a priority (one I didn’t care for but knew I had to have to make it through) and then I graduated. Now paying back my student loans is a priority.
But the biggest shift and most surprising (for me anyway) is family life and my job. I love my family and I love my job. My job allows me to reach more people than I ever could imagine. It allows me to help when there is pain or needs to be met. It allows me to see God work in dark and ugly situations that seem completely out of control and out of God’s care. But we are never out of His care and love. It just sometimes hurts like hell. My job allows me to get over myself. One of the core principles we are taught and teach to new advocates is to not be judgmental. I meet people that are not like me. I meet people that smell in really bad unimaginable ways. I meet people that are difficult to like. I meet people that make you want to hit them really hard until some common sense enters their head. I meet people that are nice. I meet people whose lives took a hard hit and they are doing everything to recover but can’t seem to get ahead. I meet people who are affluent. I could go on but I think you get my point. I get to meet all kinds of people and I love it. It is challenging to me. It pulls me out of my comfort zone and usually puts me in a very uncomfortable one. I still love it. I love being able to help people. I love the fight for justice – with those who can fight and for those who can’t.
Recently, our office was hit with a difficult situation, an employee that wasn’t a good or appropriate fit for victim services. But in a discussion with a co-worker I was asked why I disapprove of this employee. My answer was something along the lines of there was no passion for the job or victims. This job takes a lot of passion for what you are doing – without it, you cannot do it. I felt (and with good reason) the employee chose this job for a pay check. I will admit where I work, we make good money. We are lucky in that area. But the response from my co-worker was, “we all do it for a pay check.” I thought and answered, “no, I don’t.” I don’t do my job for a pay check. The money is just a nice extra, and yes, it helps and I work hard for it (ok, sometimes). But I don’t do this for the money. I do this because I have passion for people and for justice.
Until recently…that is. I am once again seeing my priorities shift. I love my family. I have a beautiful daughter that is everything to me and her father. She is so much fun to watch life happen through her eyes. I love watching her face light up as I enter a room or when her daddy gets home. The smile from a child will melt any heart and the laughter of a child can brighten the darkest of days. I’ve never seen a child under, I’ll say, age 4 laugh and not get an adult, teen, whoever to not at the very least smile if not laugh also. It is a drug, an intoxication that cannot be bought on the street or stores. There is nothing like it in all the world. Maybe that is what heaven is like – the laughter of a child. I want to see her discover life, her world around her, the backyard, the front yard, the play ground, bugs, the ocean, and so on. I don’t want to miss a moment, and yet moments are passing me by.
I love my husband. I even like my husband. I say that because I think liking is just as important as loving. If you don’t like someone, you probably don’t love them either. I love spending time with him. He makes me laugh. He spoils me silly. He is a good man. We may not always see eye to eye or have certain topics in common, but we still make it work, by the grace of God. He rubs my feet almost every day!! Can I tell you how wonderful and amazing that is to find in a man??? He started this with my pregnancy to help keep the swelling down in my feet and ankles and I thought it would stop after she was born. NOPE! Aren’t I the lucky one?
I’m sure there are some who would read that and say, “Lucky? Are you crazy? So he rubs your feet. He doesn’t believe in God or has turned his back on God. That isn’t lucky.” Well, maybe that isn’t lucky, but you see I don’t believe that God has abandoned my husband or our marriage. It is by the grace of God that our marriage is what it is. It is by His strength that we make it day to day, just as it is for both believing spouses. God loves me and God loves my husband, very much. So yes, aren’t I the lucky one!
But our family life is really hard right now. I work 9 hour days so I can have every other Wednesday off in order to have a day off with my husband. He works the grave yard shift and weekends. He is law enforcement and he puts his life on the line when he puts on his uniform. He goes to work usually on Friday nights and ends his work week on Tuesday mornings. My Little One goes to daycare for almost 10 hrs a day, except for Wednesdays and that is to give time for her and her dad. But when she gets home in the evenings, we have about 2 hrs to get her fed, bathed, play a little, give a bottle and put to bed by her bed time. Two hrs a day!
I began to look at our schedule one day and take account for the quality of life and it came up short. I love my job but I love, value and miss my family. What this all means, time will tell, but my priorities have shifted once again. It may mean new challenges, new sacrifices or whatever I can’t even see yet. But I say bring it on. By the grace of God, we can do whatever is needed. I’ve gotten the privilege of seeing God act in the lives of people over the last 4 yrs, so I know that He still acts. He meets people where they are and He will meet us. I have faith.
How are your priorities? What drives you? A shift in priorities maybe just what is needed or the day may sneak up on you when they changed and you didn’t even know it. I like those days. It makes me smile to realize I can still be surprised, even by myself.
