Free to Work

                "Happy Thanksgiving!"  echoed in the halls of my workplace late yesterday afternoon as coworkers were leaving for the day.    Lunchtime conversation centered around where everyone was going, or who was coming, what food we were going to prepare, and the timing of events around the "big game".   We were all looking forward to a day or two of holiday.  Most likely the atmosphere was the same at your workplace.

                But did you also hear the usual complaints about the hours, the pay, the boss, the benefits package,  the facility, a coworker, an assignment, etc., etc.?   Well, consider this:

• Were you hired fraudulently?  That is, did the boss promise wealth and benefits that were an outright lie?

• Are your hours 14-16 hours a day, with a brief break in the middle of the day for a bowl of watery soup or rice?

• Do you work for no pay?

• Or if you do receive compensation, does the boss take most of it back to cover your "expenses", i.e.  a hovel to live in and the watery soup to survive on?

• Are you free to  come and go from your job site as you wish?  Is anyone keeping you there under threat of violence or death?

• Are your children forced to work alongside you?

                This is the "daily grind" for millions of families around the world today.  They live in areas where there are no opportunities for education, to learn job skills, to work for an honest company--there is no such thing as "employment options".  And everyone in their extended family and community are in the same situation.  This makes one so very vulnerable.  So  what would you have do if your children were starving?  What if someone in your family was ill and you were promised medical treatment?  How would you respond if someone promised your children could go to school if you would come work for them? 

                My challenge to us today is to think about our work life - and be so very thankful .  I realize some reading this may really be truly struggling in their job, or even be unemployed.  You can be thankful for family and friends who are able to help you.  Be thankful for community resources that can help you through this time.  Be thankful for the opportunity to learn new job skills. 

                When we consider the plight of the enslaved, we have nothing to complain about--and everything to be thankful for.