Christmas Party

This past weekend I got to go with Marc to his work's Christmas party. It was a wonderful meal and at the end all of the employees got amazing door prizes ($100 gift cards, tvs, hunting equiptment). It was a little bit of a surreal experience for me. I have always worked for a nonprofit organization. I have no clue what it is like to work for anything else, even growing up I worked for a nonprofit. It was interesting to see the difference in the two and the priorities that are set. While my work Christmas party will be wonderful, we will have a potluck get together with us and our spouses/significant others/family, we will gather with about 20 people and celebrate another good year. Marc's work party gathered with over 200 people and the food and alcohol flowed like the mighty Mississippi river. It was wonderful to have the chance to meet Marc's work friends, it was wonderful to eat a delicious meal, not have to cook, clean up, or pay for it, and it has left me thinking about the differences between working for a nonprofit and a for profit business.

There are pieces that I have decided that I can fathom being wonderful, they announced at the Christmas party extended holidays off (a couple full days for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and Easter - not to mention the handful of other paid holidays). While we do get a holiday off here or there, it is the obvious job hazard that we don't get most of the major holidays off like everyone else.

As I weighed the cons and pros of our work situations I know I wouldn't trade mine for anything. Are there moments that I dream of the 8:00am-5:00pm job and every weekend off, yes, yes of course there are. Are there moments that I would love to have a budget that is above what we have, yes, yes of course there are. Are there moments that I would love to have a certain percentage of my income as a Christmas bonus on top of a great gift, yes, yes there are. Are there moments when I compare Marc's work travel to my work travel that I wish I had a ritzy hotel room to myself rather than a sleeping bag on my thermarest surrounded by youth, maybe, but most likely not. Would I trade the middle of the night phone calls to pray at the bedside of a dying saint, absolutely not, I have been called to walk on holy ground.

This two weekends ago we looked at the story of Moses and the burning bush and I walk by my own burning bushes, perhaps it is the middle schooler that I meet with who reminds me of the challenges of this world and the gift of community. My burning bush speaks to me as I hold a minutes old baby, I am reminded of how great our God is and how alive and active our God is in the world. My burning bush speaks to me as I am invited into the sacred places of people's lives, I am invited to share in the diving with them and alongside them. My burning bushes come at a variety of moments, I give thanks for my burning bushes and the ways in which I am walking on holy ground.

I am thankful for the nonprofit who calls me to full time ministry along side them. I am thankful for a fiance who is called to work in the supply chain and loves his job as well. I give thanks for the ways in which God calls each and every person to being and gives us each a place to serve.