Posts Tagged ‘struggle’

 

Upon Gaining Employment

Posted on: June 28th, 2012 by tobendlight

On the Job for VictoryIn the next few days I will sign a contract to work for an Israeli health information technology company. I started work two weeks ago. For those who don’t know, the work week here in Israel is Sunday to Thursday. I’ll be commuting to Tel Aviv about two days each week and working from my apartment in Jerusalem the other days. And there will be some travel to the U.S. I am grateful for this opportunity.

Upon Gaining Employment
G-d on high,
With gratitude I begin a new job,
A new opportunity to contribute,
A new chance to provide for my well-being
And the well-being of my family.
Let me use this gift for good
In service to others
And Your Holy Name.

Remember the poor and the homeless,
The needy and the unemployed,
So that they find dignity and fulfillment
In the works of their hands
And the works of their minds.
For I once stood in the shadow of fear and loss
When my employment ended.
Bless all who are jobless with a livelihood
So that they know health and happiness,
Security and peace.

Source of goodness and life,
Grant me success on this new path
And prosperity in all my endeavors.
May this be an opportunity to learn and to grow,
In the joy of fruitful labor.

Blessed are You,
G-d of bounty and grace,
Who has seen me through my hour of need
And brought me the gift of work.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer to be said “Upon Losing Employment” and a prayer “For Work.” See also: “Against Worker Exploitation,” it’s one of my prayers for social justice.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

For Work

Posted on: August 22nd, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a prayer for those seeking employment. Choices for the reader are shown in [brackets]. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

For Work
G-d of the laborer and the professional,
Of the craftsman and the entrepreneur,
Of the clerk and the executive,
Bless us with skill and wisdom
So that we may find employment
And financial security.
Give us energy and fortitude,
Courage and hope,
As the economy [struggles to revive][slows][remains uncertain].
Help us to discover hidden talents
And new strengths that are valued by employers.

As I begin another [day][week][month][year]
Of unemployment,
Help me to remember all of Your gifts,
So that I can envision a prosperous future.
May I find work that provides meaning and sustenance.
May opportunities become plentiful for all.

Blessed are You,
G-d of bounty and grace.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer to be said “Upon Losing Employment” and one to be said “Upon Gaining Employment.” This is a prayer “Against Worker Exploitation.” Here’s a link to an annotated list of prayers for social justice.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Deccan Chronicle

This Man

Posted on: August 7th, 2011 by tobendlight

This Man PosterIn my observation and judgment, many men have a common experience of not feeling good enough or worthy enough for the blessings we receive. I, too, have spent much of my life not feeling worthy. This is a prayer/poem for men about “being enough” and is part of a series of prayers for men including “My Work Remains,” “For the Lost” and “My Heart Knows What It Needs.” To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

This Man
These hands are enough.
Enough to hold,
Enough to heal,
To fix, to plant, to tend.
These hands are enough.

These arms are enough.
Enough to embrace,
Enough to carry,
To lift, to dig, to work.
These arms are enough.

These eyes are enough.
Enough to see,
Enough to guide,
To smile, to laugh, to cry.
These eyes are enough.

This heart is enough.
Enough to love,
Enough to care,
To hope, to yearn, to break.
This heart is enough.

This man is enough.
Enough to heal,
Enough to honor,
To respect, to challenge, to live.
This man is enough.

© 2011 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Check out these prayers for men: “My Work Remains,” “For the Lost” and “My Heart Knows What It Needs,” as well as a list of other prayers for and about men.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: Photo is © Gregory Tapler Photograpy; poster designed by Boysen Hodgson for MKP

Upon Losing Employment

Posted on: February 17th, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer is to be said when losing a job. Adapt it using choices in [brackets]. To listen along, click on the triangle below. The text follows.

Upon Losing Employment
G-d on high,
I stand in the shadow of fear and loss
As my employment comes to an end.
I have no way to see or to know
How my livelihood will be restored
Or my financial obligations fulfilled.
Grant me determination through these difficult times.
Grant me strength and courage to use this moment
As an opportunity to examine my life, my goals and my needs.
Help me find a way to meet my commitments to my
[Family][children][parents][friends][and][community].

Source of goodness and life,
Watch over me in this challenge.
Protect me from bitterness and resentment.
Open my heart to understanding and forgiveness.
Grant me the patience and energy to persevere.

Blessed are You,
G-d of bounty and grace,
Who provides sustenance of body and spirit
In the hour of need.

© 2010 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer “For Work,” one said “Upon Gaining Employment” and more about emotions that may come with a job loss: “Doubt,” “Shame,” “Fear” and “Anger.” This is a prayer “Against Worker Exploitation,” one of my prayers for social justice.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

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