I've been there, but haven't we all? There's always something we're waiting to get to the other side of. For some of us, it's school, and for others, it's work or just a matter of getting through today. Then, there are those who are trying to push through the hardest season of their life. We watch the clock, we count down the days, we pray that our shift would just end already.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
You see, last Monday, I walked into work, wondering how I was possibly going to survive another night of conflict management and strategic distraction techniques with a room full of rowdy third through fifth graders. I hadn't even started, and I was ready to be done. But then, one of them ran up to me screaming my name, and I realized that I was in no hurry to leave. I was needed there and I began to notice the little things that told me just how much.
The boy, who had caused me trouble in the past, tugged anxiously on my sleeve to show me the car he had drawn. To him, I was somebody who noticed how capable he was of "good" things, when his whole life, he had been known for being "bad". Then there was the coworker who was always eager to tell me about her daughter and her baby grandson. To her, I was somebody who listened, somebody who asked to hear more. The little girl whose face lit up when I showed her how I had worn a headband just to match the ones she always wore. To her, I was somebody who cared enough to think of her in the details.
I had felt so discouraged, so unappreciated, so drained in the weeks leading up to that night. But somehow, amidst everything that I was feeling, the people around me each saw something in me that they needed. A listening ear. A friend. Someone to offer them love and grace and patience when no one else ever had. I didn't feel like I was doing anything extraordinary. I felt like I was just doing my job, going through the motions, just "making it to Friday."
Little did I know that I was doing something much bigger than that — and so are you.
You were not made to just make it to Friday, my friend. There are purpose and opportunity in your everyday routine, and when you start to see that, life becomes less of an obligation and more of a privilege. You may not know it, but you are needed. The weekend will come soon enough, but while you're counting down the minutes, there are people looking up to you. It may be your boss, your classmates, your family, or the difficult customer. It may be your best friend, or it may be someone just walking through your neighborhood. Whoever they are, choose to be intentional with them. Act less out of duty and more out of love, and choose to smile a little more than you're required to. Then watch as your apathy turns to passion and your exhaustion turns to strength.
I promise, you'll make it through today, through this week, through this season – but where you are right now, is exactly where you're supposed to be. You are seen, you are appreciated, you are important, and you are more needed than you could ever imagine.