11/1/2021 Principal's Note

Sometimes, work is hard. Just ask your child when he or she receives an assignment for a project or a paper. You probably don't need to do that to agree with me though; you know work can be hard. Your boss may ask you to do something unreasonable; your coworkers may slack off and leave you to shoulder the burden meant for everyone to share; you may get reprimanded (or worse) for something that was the fault of someone else. The list could go on and on, and any one of those things could cause you to resist waking up and getting ready to go on a Monday morning. If your job is to stay home with your family right now, work is often hard, and almost always thankless.

Sometimes, work is fun. Just ask your child when he or she gets to play a game in class, create a colorful class presentation on a topic that interests him or her, or is prepared for the test and knocks it out of the park. Again, you probably don't need to do that though. You've had days where you really enjoyed your job: everyone is working together like a well-oiled machine; you and your coworkers all get along and share the load; your boss compliments you (or better) for something you worked on for countless hours. Again, this list could be much longer, but any of these things put a spring in your step on a Monday morning. To those staying at home, you know how important your work is, and every hug, snuggle, and "I love you, mom/dad" makes it all worth it.

Did you know that God gives us work to do? Your vocation is sent from him as a means for providing for your and your family's needs. Whether you are a police officer, nurse, welder, bus driver, CEO, factory worker, or principal at an amazing Lutheran grade school in a wonderful Midwestern town (see what I did there?), your work is a blessing from God. Moses wrote in Psalm 90:17, "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us -- yes, establish the work of our hands" (NIV). Not only does God bless us with work, but he expects us to be a blessing to others through that work. Each of us has a unique opportunity to serve our Savior by using our careers to reach others with the gospel message of Christ. Sometimes, it's an opportunity to speak to a customer or coworker when they feel like they have nowhere left to turn. Other times, it's simply living our lives in a way that is God-pleasing and having people wonder what makes us different. No matter where you are in your professional life, know that you have work to do; it may be difficult some days and a blast on others, but it is always a blessing from God.

Have a wonderful week!

In Christ,

Principal Bill Fuerstenau