Un Travail De l'Amour

Yesterday was a long, hard day. I had lots of work to do for my job I work from home (Tuesday is my big work day), and on top of that I had one last box of cards to collate. The cards are business size memory verse cards. A gentleman in our church runs the business. He sells the card stacks to churches so they can pass out "scripture bouquets" on special occasions and particularly Mother's Day. It's a tedious job. Someone has to do it. I'd rather it not be me, to be quite honest. Each individual set has 12 cards (one per month) and you stack those sets into a stack of 25. That's 12 x 25=300. Each group contains 12 stacks. That's about 3600. A box contains enough to do this 3 times. That's almost 11,000 cards to collate. So that gives you an idea why I would rejoice at completing my last box of the season!! I collated 15 boxes and earned 400 dollars to go toward the adoption. I figured this would go toward the cost of our translator.

I got the translator fee last night via email. I've saved $110!!! The translation fee was only $290. I was wondering how much it would be. I went to someone that charged per document in hopes that I would come out saving money and I did!

The way I work, I like to take chunks of money and say what they're for to encourage myself. So, I can see now that the magazine fundraiser was to pay for my translator fee (we're floating right around 300 on our last day) and the collating cards will go to our baby's visa :~) I jut like to mentally think in this way so I'm taking chunks out of the ever so large mountain.

The collating was tedious, boring, and long. My back would ache. I would actually collate until my eyes were desperately wanting to close. I'm not very fast. My husband graciously collated. (Ok, so not gracious ALL the time, just desperate) And then there's the job I'm working from home...I didn't used to work from home, and it's just another thing on my plate. It's not "overwhelming" but I have to say I'd rather not have to do it.

I'm experiencing very similar experiences to my pregnancies, as wierd as that may sound. It's not "all about me" anymore. I do things because somewhere out there, a baby needs me. My baby. Somewhere. I'm human, too, though. About the time my husband walked in after a day like yesterday, I was scrounging through fast food coupons and he looks at me and says, "Planning supper?" I love that man.

Yes, it's travail dur (hard work). But it's un travail de l'amour (a labor of love).

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

--Psalm 82:3,4

Blessings,