Staying Strong at Work During This Mess - 5

We're looking at staying strong during this mess. Despite recent "re-openings" in various stages in different locations the mess remains. Don't let anyone fool you. While incidents of the virus have declined in the U.S., they're just starting to spike in other parts of the world. And we haven't even considered the potential "stage 2" of COVID-19 when the weather cools again in fall/winter.

I certainly hope our benighted leaders don't close down the economy and our churches if the virus returns, but who knows? So staying strong will remain critical to all of us.

At work, it's always important that we keep up our strength and energy. It's the nature of work - serious, hard work - to tax us: physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually. The mess we're experiencing only increases the importance of staying strong.

So let's say you've got a good "exercise program" for your spiritual life. What should you expect at work if you're flexing those spiritual muscles every day?

Again, I'll focus on my personal experience, beginning with a comparison of spiritual fitness with physical fitness. While each day is different, here are a few general observation when I tackle the day with a good night's sleep and healthy meals:

• My increased focus and stamina help to get more done.
• The quality of the work climbs up towards the "excellent" range.
• Interactions with people flow more easily with fewer misunderstandings or conflicts.
• I'm not completely wiped out at the end of the day.

If we recall that we're composed of body and soul, it should be easy to see that, as with physical fitness, spiritual fitness should make for a better day at work too. Indeed, a healthy body needs a healthy soul even more than a healthy soul depends on a healthy body. We saw how a healthy body will help us during the workday. What about a healthy soul? Again, a few general observations:

• When my focus or stamina are challenged I'll offer up any discomfort or suffering - generally for the intentions of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
• The quality of my work gets an extra boost because I'm intentionally working for the greater glory of God. And who wants to offer second best to God?
• Seeing others as God's creatures, even exchanges with unpleasant people will rest on a foundation of humility and charity. Patience comes more readily.
• And on days when I manage to check in frequently with God, there's a kind of spiritual "reset" that fills my reserve tank, even if the day's work has been long, exhaustive, and especially hard.

But I have to remember: My spiritual exercise doesn't assure any of this. The support and the results come directly from God. The spiritual exercise derives its effectiveness because it's telling God I need His help.

That's the case mess or no mess. Even in the best of times, I've learned I can't get through a day without God's help. As for the current mess, I can't imagine any of us pressing ahead on our own. It all started with a threat to our health. Then came the economic shutdown. As if that weren't enough, we've had rioting - social unrest to top it all off.

Consider it all, and consider that it's not over yet. Don't you just know you need to get cracking on this staying strong thing? Just be sure to always and everywhere defer to God's will in all this. In His mysterious way, He has either willed or permitted this mess. I don't know why or when it will get better. But I do know it's somehow His Will.

Despite it's special, unique nature, our current mess follows a long line of challenges that have fallen onto my physical, emotional, and spiritual plates. Each time, my ongoing efforts to build and maintain my strength, along with my trust in God, have helped to meet those challenges. They are doing the same now. I hope that's true for you.