If you or your spouse were fired tomorrow from their job, what would you do? What are the next five action items that would go on your to-do list? If you were fired on Tuesday and I told you that on Wednesday you could come to my office for a job interview there’s probably a good chance you already know what you should wear, how you should stand, and the best way to present yourself to make a good impression.
You probably have a printer, paper, or access to both in order to create multiple copies of a résumé. There’s probably even one person who could give you a ride or give you directions to the place where your interview might take place.
More than all that, you probably have a high view of the dignity of work. You probably also have an idea about some of the things you are able to do as a human being who is known by their Creator.
For some though, what I just described is a completely foreign concept.
It’s foreign because this isn’t the country where they were born. It’s foreign because though they may have been born here they never learned the dignity they possess as a person made in God’s image. They never saw someone in their family or community print a resume. They never stood up in front of a group of people, looked them in the eye, and said their name with a voice that said, “Listen to me.”
What if you could help people like this?
You could help break the cycle of shame and joblessness for a fellow human being if you could spare two hours a week for eight weeks beginning March 1.
What do you have to do during those two hours? Eat a meal. Attend a class. Be a champion for another person during that time.
Jobs for Life is a national program that is helping to restore the dignity of work in people’s lives and giving them the chance to find solid employment. Joe Magri, an assistant pastor at Trinity PCA has headed up the program which has run several classes in Charlottesville in the last few years.
I’m going to participate as a champion in the program this time around and I would love to take a few other folks from Grace with me if you can spare the time. I want to see what this is all about because as my friend Joe has said, “We can’t help the poor if we don’t know the poor.” I’ve realized that I don’t really know the poor and that has been a convicting realization. I think I have more to give than I realize, and I maybe you do too.
There is a champion initiation and training event on February 24th. Jobs for Life begins at Trinity on March 1. For more information or if you have questions please contact me via email: tag@cvillegrace.org or go to http://www.trinitycville.org/Jobs-For-Life
In Him,
Tag