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Key Bible Verse: A wise youth works hard all summer; a youth who sleeps away the hour of opportunity brings shame (Proverbs 10:5). Bonus Reading: Proverbs 20:4; 22:29; 28:19

Not all college lessons happen in class or even on campus. I had a friend in school whose father, a wonderful Christian man, probably hadn't finished high school and had worked the fruit camps during the depression. He had a reputation as a worker who would give an employer more than a day's work.

I went to visit my friend and talked with his father. He told me he could sometimes make $70 a day loading lumber into boxcars on a piece-work basis. This compared to the base wage at the mill of $15 to $16 per day. Moreover, this man worked just as hard when he wasn't loading cars and was just getting the regular hourly wage. I was impressed and felt challenged.

I soon developed a positive attitude about my work at the mill that paid off. I was rehired every summer and every Christmas vacation until I graduated. I learned to study, earned my degree, and married a classmate. Several years into my profession as a college professor, I called my friend's father and thanked him for the important lesson he'd taught me.

—Dale Orkney in College Faith

My Response: I'll thank _____ for showing me how to really work.

Thought to Apply: Do thou thy best, and leave to God the rest. —James Howell (English author)

Adapted from College Faith: 150 Christian Leaders and Educators Share Faith Stories from Their Student Days (Andrews University Press, 2002) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

Lord, don't let me just put in time. I want to put energy and passion into my work.

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