Day 45: Hard Work
- vandaliafumc
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
A blog post in three parts.
I forgot yesterday that there was a song devotional put out by the denomination for the final days of Holy Week. So the first part will be the song for yesterday—Maundy Thursday—called "Stand Up" by Cynthia Erivo.
The second part will be my daily gratitude. Today, I thank God for hard work.
The final part is the song devotional for Good Friday, which offers a choice between two powerful songs: "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday and/or "The Hanging Tree" from The Hunger Games.
PLAYLIST SOCIAL MEDIA POST
At the center of Maundy Thursday is a mandate, or a command, to love one another as Christ has loved us. “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo may seem unusual for Maundy Thursday, but at its core, it is a call to live into this new reality and to embody hope, care, and love with one another. Difficult days lie ahead, but God's steadfast love frees us to move forward toward life together in Christ. As you listen to this powerful song, consider: “How does the command to love one another as Christ has loved us set you free?”
Gratitude Journal
Thank you, God, for hard work.
There’s the kind of hard work we enjoy—something that gives us a sense of purpose, maybe even joy. And then there's the kind of hard work we try to avoid like the plague. (Well… maybe we don’t try that hard, but you know what you know.) Maybe it’s work that simply makes us uncomfortable, seems outside our skillset, or maybe it really is a sacrifice of some sort for us to pursue it.
People talk a lot about doing what you love—finding a job or hobby that fills you with passion. You hear quotes like, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And sure, that’s a gift when it happens. But sometimes, things just need to get done. And you’re the one who has to do them. Does that make it hard work? Maybe. Probably.
I started thinking about all of this as I was reflecting on Holy Week—the weight of it, the meaning of it. The hard work Jesus did on behalf of all of us. That’s when it hit me: I’m grateful for hard work. For His hard work.
And from there, I started thinking about my family—my parents, my siblings. Looking back, I had a great childhood. But I can’t even begin to fathom the sacrifices they must’ve made so I could have that. Sacrifices may not always look like hard work, but that’s what they are. And that’s what I’m thankful for today.
(I’d also guess there are some sacrifices my family could name, but even more that they couldn’t—because some of it is just what love and family do.)
It’s easier to see other people’s hard work as sacrifice—God’s, our parents’, our friends’. It’s harder to turn that mirror on myself. Maybe I don’t need to. Maybe today, I can just be thankful.
Still, I hope that in the future, I won’t wait so long to do the hard thing when it’s the right thing. I won’t procrastinate when doing the right thing is the best way I can show love.
Every year, I’m blown away again by Holy Week—by the roller coaster of emotions, by the depth of God’s love. The hard work of Jesus. The sacrifice. The love. For me. For you. For us.
Thank you, God, for hard work.
PLAYLIST SOCIAL MEDIA POST
*You are invited to use one or both songs linked above with this social media devotional.
Of all the difficult, terrible things that can happen in this world, one of the scariest is being alone. Suffering, pain, tragedy—all are easier to bear when we know we are not alone in the struggle. When Jesus cries out from the cross, echoing the opening verses of Psalm 22, he cries out of a longing not to be alone in the midst of senseless violence. Our song today invites us to remain present and bear witness when suffering and injustice visit our neighbors and us. As you listen, let the music wash over you and consider: “How does God’s steadfast love strengthen you to be present and tell the truth in the face of sin and evil in the world?”
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