slave or steward?

It’s Saturday again… just a few hours more I’ll find myself sitting in a moving vehicle going back Bangkok (whether be it a bus or one of the manager’s car who happens to go be going back too, and lovingly give me a free ride back).

My week’s been pretty much normal… normal in a sense that there’s no unexpected holiday that came up that made me go back in the middle of the week. Work is still the same. Unending Debit-Credit moments, paper works and unnerving phone calls from suppliers who’s demanding for payment. Got used to it… hehe :) The truth is, its not fun doing the same things over and over again and apart from that, receiving calls from angry people you don’t clearly understand (cause they speak Thai and I’m still working out on that area) and trying to be nice to them. But work is work.

I remembered the first time I attended the Young Pro Fellowship at ICA (had the chance to attend because of the holiday), Ps. Chad discussed about what God says about Work, how He sees it and how we should see it too in our lives. That was a very helpful moment, especially in my stage right now that I’m really struggling about it. Well, I’ve been struggling for a long time already since September last year when I had to leave Bangkok and move here to Rayong (btw, Rayong is one of the provinces here in Thailand and its three hours away from the city).And that struggle is getting heavier and more unbearable as time passes by. Well I’m still in that phase, but now realizations came and it is easier to accept things. Work is work. It demands commitment and patience. On the other hand, work is just work. At the end of the day, once you step out of the office, you’re free again. You can watch your favorite TV Show or see a movie or eat in your favorite restaurant or get a good massage and spend time with people you love. We’re not a slave of it. God did not intend us to be slave of what we’re doing, He wants us to be good stewards of that thing He entrusted us and bless other people with the fruit of our labor. Thank God for that.

I will never forget two conversations I had with Kuya Manny – he’s one of the best kuya I had here in BKK. When I was so depressed with the fact that I have to move to here and leave the life I used to have in Bangkok, I quickly thought of quitting my job. But then he told me:

Kuya Manny: Mahalin mo yung trabaho mo… Mahirap nang makakita ng trabaho ngayon dito na magbibigay sa yo ng Visa… (love your work… etc… etc…)

I kept that words in my heart and everytime I feel cranky and wanting to go home again, I always remember that I should be thankful of what I have right now. Then a few months later, I had a phone conversation with him again:

Eloisa: Sorry, gusto kong pumunta kaya lang madaming trabaho e. Kelangan pang magtrabaho bukas… (I wanted to be there but I can’t… I still have work tomorrow.)
Kuya Manny: Bakit ka pa magtatrabaho bukas e holiday? (why are you working its holiday?)
Eloisa: E di ba sabi mo mahalin ko yung trabaho ko (you told me I should love my job)
Kuya Manny: oo nga.. pero di ko sinabing magpaalipin ka sa trabaho mo… (yeah but I didn’t told you to become a slave)

Our carreer is one aspect in our lives that we need to be very careful of. There's a thin line between loving our work and making our work the love of our life. There's a thin line between learning to relax and being a procrastinator. There's a thin line between working hard and giving other people a chance to abuse us. Are we a slave or a steward?

A few more hours, I’ll be on my way back home…. This pays up all the six days I spent working. Always the best part of the week… looking forward to it :)

weekend fever :p