Someone told me recently that since they had retired they had seen themselves lose their weekend. I had wondered if it was a reference to perhaps them getting a part-time weekend retirement job, but actually it was a little more mundane than that.
Since they had stopped working their Saturdays and Sundays seemed like any other day of the week. Each day felt pretty much like any other.
It is easy for many of us to complain about our Mondays to Fridays and live for the weekend. We can go even so far as to say that the daily work routine gets boring. We wake up, have the same cereal, leave home the same time to go and do the same old job. Of course, some people feel absolutely secure with routine and hate any thought of change and I respect that.
Yet here is the funny thing, these days we hear a lot about stress and burnout in a way that probably perplexes our parents and grandparents. Not saying that it is not real. Far from it. We may attribute it to working too many hours, long travel time, an intensive job, demanding boss and not enough time to ourselves. But there can be just as much stress from life not turning out as we would like, living with unfilled ambition and dreams.
We can have an idealised view of what our life should be. We can fall into that thing called entitlement, which is when we feel we deserve happiness or success due to our hard work or something we have achieved.
I remember a highly paid worker telling me that he deserved his big bonus because he did long hours, but I told him that I knew people in the catering business who did equally as long hours if not more, but on much less pay. It is all a matter of perspective. He argued, of course, that he carried the weight of responsibility.
Life has to do with a lot of conditioning of what we think it owes us. It has to do with maybe wrong expectations, especially when life does not go to plan and, indeed, goes backwards, not forwards. We find ourselves getting worn out, low and dissatisfied with our daily routine. It can even make us physically and emotionally ill.
So here is how I deal with it. Some days I just need to get out of bed and put one foot in front of the other and stop going by my feelings. I look to find contentment and joy not in success-bound situations, but in the simple things. I remind myself to stop trying to look for recognition from my peers or parents or comparing myself with someone my age and background. I stop myself from saying I wish it was Saturday and look forward to getting the most out of today.
Contrary to what some may think, biblical Christianity has never promoted a routine-free life or even a successful life. Actually, quite the opposite. The Christian life is full of daily disciplines where God is to be found often in the seemingly mundane everyday experience of life. In fact, as one theologian has said, “Ritual is a reminder of God’s continued faithfulness.” The Bible says in the Psalms, “His love endures for ever.” Elsewhere Jesus says, “He who endures to the end will be saved.”
It all seems to point to the simple underlying fact that God knows we are going to find life tough at times and just plain hard work, but we do not toil under a hot sun alone. He is as faithful to us as the days are long.
Through those dry difficult periods I have found the rain does come and the seasons often change with it. It is at these times that I realise that my worth is not found in what I do or achieve with my week, but who I am in my relationship with a faithful loving God over a lifetime. Have a good day.
ASD
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