Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Sight Unseen Part 2

I work for OMF, right? I do payroll and taxes, right? I sit at a computer all day answering emails and making sure people get money, right?

Yep.

But that's not all.

I see inside the lives of servants in East Asia that no one else gets to see. I do their taxes, for goodness sake! I answer questions about investing, remittances, stipends and W-2's. There are so many mundane things about my job from opening mail to filing. Some days I grow weary of the routine. My eyes gaze out the window longing to be the one on the field.

And then I get emails that humble me to the core-

"Happy Valentine's Day! (Not that I think that receiving our tax information will exactly make your day... but, at least we sent you something for Valentine's Day! Hooray!, as you wrote below.) Seriously, we appreciate your hard work serving our Lord and us in this way (taxes). You have freed us up today to mentor and teach Chinese seminary students! More trained and committed workers for the harvest! You helped! Thank you!"

"Thank you for taking upon yourself this relatively thankless task. I am sure
that there will be some sort of special reward for your efforts in heaven."


"Hi. I'm glad I can make you glad about doing taxes ... yeah, that does sound kind of crazy, but I know what you mean. I have about 300 prayer bulletins to send out today (maybe 14 groups, and 10 or so 'by hand' (one by one); so notes like yours encourage me to do my part here."

Can you even begin to imagine the humbling effect receiving emails like this cause? Thanks for trying, but I am sure you cannot understand. The feeling inside me is a mixture of awe, guilt, honor, humility and joy. They are thanking me for doing taxes and reminding me that it is helping do their work!!! God's redeeming nature certainly spreads to everything! Taxes=rewards in heaven!

I know it is true, I just need reminded day in and day out that what I am doing is having an eternal impact on the world, even if it is as simple as opening mail. The intense joy that brings cannot be compared to anything else! I am not working for American Family Insurance anymore where the tasks are purposeless for eternity. I am serving God with every email, with every mail opening session, with faxes and staff meetings.

The longer I work here the deeper the joy becomes. The more I understand. The more I see how valuable my part is.

So, back to taxes I go... storing up for myself treasures in heaven!!

1 comment:

Augustinian Successor said...

Dear Jaclyn,

Awn behaelf ooff the Chynese seminary students, a big thank you!