work Archives - Diana Derringer

Play Possum

October 3, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

Many of us tried to play possum when we were children. We wanted to stay in bed when our parents said to get up. We kept our eyes closed and remained as still as possible.

We often display similar behaviors as adults. Some days we simply don’t want to rise and shine.

When opossums (or possums) feel threatened, they pretend to be dead.

They try to avoid attack by lying still. Their goal is for the other animals to leave them alone. Apparently, that defense works well.

When faced with danger:

They don’t fight.
They don’t run.
They play dead.

To play possum means to pretend to be dead or asleep.

It may also mean to pretend not to know. We want to avoid a person or situation. We don’t want to:

Wake up
Get up
Work
Accept responsibility

Like the possum, we hope the threat to our rest loses interest and goes away.

The time comes to stop playing possum and get to work.

We need and enjoy rest and play. Yet, for the best life, we also put our hand to the plow and meet our responsibilities.

“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:9 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion.

Image by daynaw3990 from Pixabay

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High Cotton

August 22, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Whether we know it or not, we probably wish we were in high cotton.

During the height of cotton’s growing season, fluffy fields of white appear throughout the southern United States. Growers hope for a successful crop.

When we achieve success, we are in high cotton.

Businesses earn a high profit.
Students make good grades.
Families enjoy the perfect home.
Children receive their favorite toys.

High cotton does not give us the right to act high and mighty.

Success does not make us any better or worse than anyone else. With an attitude of gratitude, we use our success to help other people succeed. Rather than a big head, we develop a big heart.

We want to bear fruit that makes a lasting impact.

We have only a few years on this earth. What we do with them makes an eternal difference.

Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:12 NIV).

Thanks to James E. Hodges for the suggestion. Image by Clayton Decker from Pixabay.

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Many Hands Make Light Work

August 15, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Do you have little helpers who remind you that many hands make light work? Maybe your children or grandchildren? Perhaps a neighbor or friend?

Many of my favorite experiences involve children who helped me. Their help may have meant extra time or a bigger mess. Yet, what fun. They learned to work together and to help one another.

Many hands make light work means the more who work together, the easier and faster the work.

Work may be on:

A garden’s long hard rows to hoe
Large family meals
Caregiving for family members
A youth group project

Many hands may not make the work easy as pie. It will make the work easier.

Many hands make light work applies to all areas of life.

Jobs
Family
Friends
Community
Church
Volunteer work

Take advantage of opportunities to lend a helping hand.

Supporting one another makes life better for everyone – the one who receives help plus the one who helps.

“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” (Psalm 90:17 NIV).

Thanks to Tracy Crump for the suggestion and to Karen Atwood for the photo.

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Rub Elbows

July 11, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we rarely shake hands anymore. Instead, we bump fists or elbows. We have had few opportunities to rub elbows.

To rub elbows means to interact with another person or persons.

Our elbows rarely touch, but we make social contact. We are close enough we could touch elbows. Contacts may be one-on-one or with a group.

Such contacts do not usually require hard physical work or elbow grease. Instead, we socialize.

We rub elbows in both work and non-work settings.

If we want a better job, we try to rub elbows with our bosses. We hope to impress them with our abilities and our willingness to work hard.

If we want to join a social group, we try to rub elbows with people in that group. We hope to convince them we would make a good member.

In all our interactions with one another, we want to present ourselves well.

Rather than get off on the wrong foot,

Work well.
Treat others well.
Live well for the one who created us – elbows, feet, and all.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 NIV).

Thanks to Lindy Pierce for the suggestion.

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Fish or Cut Bait

June 6, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

I rarely fish. When I do, people with me probably wish I had stayed home.

They never say to fish or cut bait. I’m sure they think I should.

I hate to touch worms or fish. Therefore, someone else has to put on my worms and take off my fish.

However, I do have one tall tale about catching a huge catfish in my family’s pond.

Of course, I caught that whopper by accident.

Fish or cut bait means to get to work or get out of the way.

Do I plan to fish? If not, I need to move, so others can. If I choose not to fish, I can cut up their bait. Ick! I don’t want to do that either. I rather take pictures or go home.

Fish or cut bait applies to any type of work or activity.

When I fail to do my job, I waste my time and the time of others. Therefore, I need to:

Decide if I plan to work or watch
Proceed with my job or leave it
Use or stop wasting resources

Jesus calls believers to fish for people.

Fishing for people is not only a job for preachers and teachers. It is a call for all Jesus’ followers. No ifs, ands, or buts. Jesus calls us to fish. If we love God and love others, we will share that love.

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people’” Matthew 4:19 NIV).

Thanks to Emily Akin for the suggestion and to Robbie Childress for the photo.

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Stop and Smell the Roses

March 28, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

My husband and I love to travel. For years, we planned our own trips and did our own driving. We hit the trail as often as possible. I usually scheduled far more than we had time to do. However, we learned to stop and smell the roses along the way.

Our schedule was not as important as fun on the trip. We began according to plan but made changes along the way. We went off the beaten path almost every trip and are so glad we did.

To stop and smell the roses means to take time to enjoy life.

We slow down and relax. That means we:

Get away from our busy schedules
Recognize the importance of mini moments of joy.

Without breaks, stress builds.

No one can go forever. If we fail to get away, our:

Health suffers
Work becomes less productive
Relationships weaken

We must stop and smell the roses if we desire a good life.

Leisure time is a necessity, not a luxury. When God created the world, he set aside one day a week to rest and worship. The value of that plan remains as important now as then.

“Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone” (Zechariah 10:1 NIV).

Thanks to Karen Hart for the suggestion.

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Spread Too Thin

March 21, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 7 comments

Do you ever find yourself spread too thin? Like too little peanut butter on a piece of bread, you cannot cover all you need to do.

You have too many irons in the fire and meet yourself coming and going. Your to-do list keeps growing. If you finish one task, two more take its place.

Spread too thin means you have too much to do and too little time to do it.

You have so many activities, you cannot keep up. You run short on:

Time
Energy
Resources

You feel overwhelmed and can do none of your tasks well.

When spread too thin, allow others to help you.

Extra hands make the work go faster. They also encourage you to keep on keeping on.

Take breaks.

That sounds crazy, but it helps. A few minutes, hours, or days to relax does wonders.

If your stress level soars, time away helps:

Emotionally – Life looks better and hope returns.
Physically – Energy levels increase.
Mentally – Your mind clears, and you think better.
Spiritually – Rest and prayer restores.

Do what you can. Get help. Take breaks.

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jeremiah 31:24 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Knowles for the suggestion.

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Right as Rain

January 10, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Like a gentle rain on a hot, dry day, some things feel right as rain. Plants need refreshment, and so do people. After a long, dry spell of trouble, we love calm showers of peace.

Right as rain often means life is all right.

We enjoy:

Good or improved health
Everything working as it should

We feel well. Problems are solved. Work is complete.

Right as rain also means something is correct.

We give the right answers on a test.
Our work meets or exceeds requirements.

At times, right as rain means dependable.

People are as good as their word. We can take what they say to the bank. Regardless of their circumstances, rain or shine, they do what is right.

God offers a good, correct, and dependable life.

That does not mean everything always goes as we hope. It does mean everything will eventually work out.

Sooner or later, people fail. God never has and never will. We can trust God with our lives and our futures.

“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants” (Deuteronomy 32:2 NIV).

Thanks to Regina Graham for the suggestion.

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Meet Yourself Coming and Going

August 2, 2021 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

Do you ever meet yourself coming and going? With too many irons in the fire, you start one job, walk away, and see another job that needs attention. You begin the new chore, turn around, and see something else to do. After moving from one task to another, you realize you have finished nothing.

Does that sound familiar?

To meet yourself coming and going, you feel pulled in several directions.

You find yourself with:

Too much to do
Little time to do it
Uncertainty when you will get everything done

Too many chores usually mean too little rest.

You never find time to:

Sleep
Relax
Enjoy life

You must slow down or you will get down.

Failure to rest eventually means you run out of steam. You either give up or get sick. No one can go forever. You have to take care of yourself in order to do what needs to be done.

In order to keep going, you first learn to be still — how to:

Rest
Relax
Recharge your strength.

You focus on what must be done rather than all you want to do.

“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121:8 NIV).

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Thank you to the person who made this suggestion, based on my recent activity. I confess I must plead guilty as charged.

Boil the Ocean

May 10, 2021 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Boil the Ocean - volcano lava above the ocean How many times have we attempted an impossible task? We try to do something no one can do. Remember, we don’t have to boil the ocean.

Lava from an erupting volcano heats the ocean. However, all that lava affects only a tiny portion of the water. It puts on quite a show but with limits.

To boil the ocean means to try the impossible.

We work like a mule and burn our candle at both ends. However, like lava in the ocean, we have limits. We cannot do everything.

Students cannot complete years of work in one semester.
Builders cannot create a city in a day.
Doctors cannot cure every person in the world of every disease.

We make progress one step at a time.

Working together, we move forward. Trying to do everything alone dooms us to failure. Too many jobs make all our jobs more difficult.

We want vision without a waste of time.

Dream big. Reach for the sky. Yet, recognize reality. We never want to destroy ourselves striving for the impossible.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall” (Isaiah 40:30 NIV).

Thanks to Kristy Robinson Horine for the suggestion. Image by Adrian Malec from Pixabay

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