During this year in Cincinnati, my wife has worked in Spanish translation and interpretation. She works as an independent contractor for a company called Translations Unlimited. Her job entails interpreting for Spanish-speakers in many different hospitals, clinics, courtrooms and jails throughout the greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky area. Each situation and patient with which she works entails a new experience. For being a woman that does not gravitate toward consistent change, she has adjusted well to the job and has learned very quickly to love and enjoy it.
Not only is this job varying in scope, but it is also stressing. The toll that continuous, and at times simultaneous, translation takes on the mind and body is very evident. After several hours, Juli will be exhausted because of the work. For this reason, we are only looking for her to work an average of 25 hours per week. Yet, as an independent contractor, she does not have set hours on which she can rely. She submits her name for various appointments throughout the week and, in addition, will often receive last minute phone calls for immediate assistance.
There have been countless times over the last few months where Juli has had very little work scheduled for the next week. We need her to work the prescribed number of hours, yet there are not many jobs available at the time. So, we make it a matter of prayer. Week after week, day after day, we see God doing incredible things. Some weeks she will only have a handful of hours and by the end of the week, she will have 25 hours total. There has yet to have been a week when we ask God for this provision that He does not provide for our needs.
Though at times it would be much easier, humanly speaking, to have a regular job with a regular schedule and not have to depend on the Lord for hours, we thank the Lord for the incredible opportunity that He gives us to use work to drive us toward Him. He has allowed us to see that work should be used for His glory. We see His glory by His continual and stedfast provision through work.