Being Heart-Wise at Work
I was listening to a new translation of the Old Testament recently when this phrase struck me: it was ‘women who were heart-wise with their hands’. What a striking way to approach work, whether man or woman. Each and every day we have tasks that we do not want to do: they can be too challenging, too hard, too boring, or, quite frequently we just don’t feel like doing them. And we can end up working in half-hearted or disconnected way. But what we would happen if we brought both our head and our heart together before we even put our hands to the task?
We would pause and think about when would be the best way to do this in the time we had had. Just doing that we have taken some control over this part of our lives. We wouldn’t over do it because we know we have others things that needed doing. And we wouldn’t go foolishly bull at a gate. We would try to emotionally engage even with a task we find distasteful or difficult. The end result is that we would take pride in our work, even if it was something we really didn’t want to do. The job would be done as well as we could, in the circumstances, and we would have some (perhaps small) sense of achievement.
We are made in the image of our creative God. Work is the most usual way in which we get to express our creativity. We can approach our work as though we are burdened, or we can be ‘god-like’ bringing our head and heart online to create with our hands. Even the humblest tasks can be done in a heart-wise way that honours our own dignity, and as we work that way, we realise that even the most undistinguished task is honourable.
Loving God, with love and wisdom you created our world and hold it in being. May I share in your creativity, bringing wisdom and love to all that I do with my hands. I ask this in Jesus’ name, confident that you will hear me.
Sr Kym Harris osb