With Labor Day weekend upon us, I wanted to take a moment to talk about work. Whether we consider the task of making money to support our family a job, a career, or a calling, one thing remains the same: God will bless us in our daily work if we ask Him.

Somewhere along my Christian journey, I realized no burden is too small to bring before God (I’m a control freak, so this took me a while). When I was considering a return to working outside the home for the first time in over a decade, I polished off my resume, browsed online and newspaper want ads, and completed applications. You know, the normal stuff.

After years–yes, years–of struggling to find something that would allow me enough flexibility to feel like I wasn’t sacrificing the needs of my family, I was contacted through LinkedIn by a local financial services company. We had several interviews, but something felt off. Even though the manager assured me I would be successful and I had the necessary skills, I couldn’t commit.

But why?

In sheer frustration, I reached out to God. Why is this hard, Lord? I need to help my husband support our family. I need to reduce the stress he feels of being the sole income. Please help me find a way.

Weeks later, I spotted a tiny ad in our weekly paper about real estate classes starting up. It would cost $395–a fee that would require us to tighten our belt even further without the promise of any results. But it would be held over two weekends: four, ten-hour days. Most real estate classes took place over three weekend nights for two months. With our children’s homework, after school activities, and a husband who usually worked until 8 p.m. so he wasn’t available to help out, this class over two weekends certainly was an answer to prayer.

Signed up, passed my real estate exam, and I haven’t looked back.

I love what I do! I believe it is my calling to help others in this manner.

These days, I pray for the goals I set, that God will direct me to the people who need my help, and  that my focus will remain on how He has blessed me since discovering that tiny little ad in the paper. I also pray that some little time each week can be dedicated to writing and blogging (not too much to ask). None of this would have been possible without Him.

Do you pray for your job? Do you feel your work is a job, a career, or a calling?  If money were no object, what would you dedicate your life to?