Mattresses… I had never really given them much thought before. I can sleep on pretty much anything and wake up the next day feeling fine. I’ve always appreciated my ability to sleep anywhere. Airplanes, trains, buses, the floor. I never ever thought that my first big boy job with benefits, insurance, and the delightful concept of a paid vacation would be selling mattresses.
When Meg and I decided that we wanted to answer God’s call on our lives to minister and love children, especially those from tough situations, and live among them I knew I was going to need to get another job as well. But mattresses…Really? Weird? I never grew up thinking about being a mattress salesman…
Having a calling and spending forty hours a week on something that’s not my calling makes for an interesting situation. In some ways it’s fantastic. The kids in the neighborhood see me get up, put on a tie, and go to work every day to provide for my family and that is a wonderful. They don’t often see examples of that type of behavior modeled for them and I love that aspect of my job. I have wonderful bosses that allow me to only work 4 days a week instead of five and still receive benefits and vacation time. They are flexible with my schedule and I was able to come to all of VBS this past week and that was fantastic and wonderful time to see God work. I get each Tuesday off so that I can be here at the house for bible club and be a part of what God is doing through that.
Other days it’s a little tougher. I missed a lot of basketball games that kids in the neighborhood wanted me to attend because I work eleven hours on Saturday and that’s game day. Some days the store is slammed and I come home really tired and all I want to do is sit inside my house and rest, not go and play cans with the 9 year old next store. Having to work the occasional Sunday afternoon and rush out of church as soon as the sermon is over. Less time to spend planning what I am going to teach on a Sunday morning in Sunday school.
All in all being bi vocational is working out really well. Megan and I love being at TCC and being a part of the community. We love being here in the neighborhood, seeing community built and racial barriers being torn down. God is blessing our ministry both here in the community house and at the church on Sunday mornings. We are seeing those two groups interact more and more and it’s a wonderful thing. Our bills are paid and we’re getting the chance to do what we’re called to do with our lives. Some days were tired and worn, but God and the community that makes up TCC fills and recharges our batteries. God has us exactly where he wants us to be and is working in ways we would never expect, like a mattress store.
I'm always amazed at how much you give to your faith, relationships, store, house and church - and how there's always something left.
ReplyDelete"Big boy job"...what if you were working at a Big Boy restaurant? To save money, you would eat their food and then you would be a Big Boy yourself.