"Plumb Tired"

The work is getting heavy,

And the hours getting long,

The project is not finished,

And the deadline date is wrong.

The boss is getting ancy,

And the mood is kinda grim,

There’s pressure to get finished,

It’s time to sink or swim.

And you know that strength is needed,

But you’re weary to the bone,

You wish for a vacation,

Or just more time at home.

But you know you gotta do it,

Just have to find a way,

Reach down and find another gear,

‘Cause there are bills to pay.

And this is just the story,

Of working folks out there,

They get up and they do it,

Plumb tired but they care.

And we ought to really thank ‘em,

For what it is they do,

The products and the services,

That come to me and you.

But even more to intercede,

And say a special prayer,

For all the folks who aren’t afraid,

To show up and work there.

Even when exhausted,

With far too much to do,

They go out and get ‘er done,

Expect no help, it’s true.

So, Father, won’t you bless ‘em,

And give the strength they need,

And let ‘em know we’re thankful,

They’re America’s best seed.

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them…” (1 Timothy 2:1, NLT)

I know there are lazy people in this world and they get a lot of attention. But what about the hundreds of thousands of people who get up each day and faithfully go to work? It’s what’s expected of them, but that doesn’t mean their labor should go unappreciated. And not only that, we should be praying for people. What people? All people, the Bible says. And to give thanks for them as well. If applied to the people in the poem, which are included in the biblical mandate, we should be praising God for them and interceding. One of the ways I have been counseled to pray, especially when I’m unsure of specifics, is to bind people to God’s highest and best, and loose them from evil, in Jesus’ name. Ultimately, we’re praying for them to come to know Jesus, and to receive His blessings. Let’s get ‘er done!

Lord, help us to faithfully pray for all people, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Weller, donweller.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.