- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Well after months of trying to find a job, i finally get offered a cashier position at a local grocery store. Well, I still live at home right now (I’m 20) Basically the dilemma is that they said while it’s fine that I don’t want to work on Sundays, there might be a few times where I will. Because I guess the cashiers pick their shifts by seniority and what not. And since I’d be one of the newest ones, I’d get the last choices. And she said sometimes it’s Sundays and sometimes it’s not. I just don’t want to disappoint my folks if I take this job. Because I feel like they’ll not love me or anything like that if I do. When I’m solely doing it for the money. If you need to work that job to be productive and help support yourself, it is what it is. In an ideal world, I would never have to work on Sunday, since I appreciate the concept of a Sabbath day of rest, but there are lots of people who have to work on Sunday, to one degree or another – and it doesn’t change their basic faith one bit, particularly if it’s a necessity. Ultimately, it is your choice, but I simply would suggest that avoiding all jobs that require occasional or even constant work on Sunday isn’t possible for lots of people.
I thank God there a people who can work on Sunday. Especially when I need a hospital, the police or fire department. Our sons were born on Sunday. The times I needed to go to the hospital (emergencies) seem to be on Sunday.
Starting out in the world with your 1st job, you find that some assignments are made based on seniority.
We had a Bishop once who was a detective & a body guard for the Mayor. In our town most parades are on Sunday & he had to work in the parades with the city mayor. I always made it a point to say hi Bishop & he would say, what are you doing here on Sunday? (the parade was going past our apartment).
Maybe there will be people who will be willing to trade Friday or Saturday so you don’t have to work on Sunday.
Things have a way of working out.
A few years ago my husband lost his job and got a temporary one working at a nice restaurant. Part of their requirements to advance to nights (and make the big bucks) was doing a Sunday brunch for several months. So he had to work every Sunday morning and mid day, always missing any church service. But we felt like it was necessary for him to advance so we could have the amount of money we needed to survive at that time. So I think you just have to do what you can, and if you need this job then don’t worry about feeling like you are being unrighteous or something for having to work Sundays. I think that principle is more about whether you want to work Sundays so you can miss church vs needing to and wishing you could go to church. And you probably will be able to get people to switch you sometimes for Saturdays or something, since often those are days people like off too. Good luck though. I see the ultimate role of the Sabbath day commandment to ensure people keep their schedules open to attend church. However, I believe that supporting oneself economically is more important than attending church and would have no qualms about working on Sundays now and then. I would also figure out ways of reducing the Sundays, though, through negotiation with more senior employees (perhaps take some undesireable shifts in exchange for open Sundays) or some other artful methods I would hit on as I grew familiar with the situation.
It’s next to impossible at your age in our culture to find a job that doesn’t require work on Sunday at some point. That said, my two cents would be to take it and do what you can to attend church whenever possible. Just don’t use your job as a perpetual excuse to quit going to church entirely. If you are like me in the least, I need the contact with the other members to help my own spiritual strength. Your folks also have to see that you are doing what you can support yourself and become independent, which is a big plus.
When the economic downturn got really bad in 2008, our son was looking for work to save money for school, etc. Every job he was offered required Sunday work. Our bishop told him and others not to turn down a job if it required working on Sundays. He said it’s important when you’re starting out to get necessary experience and seniority. He said to do your best to get to church as much as possible. We really appreciated that advice. Our son was able to trade almost all of his Sunday shifts in the job that he took. Also, I wouldn’t worry about your parents not loving you if you take this job. It may disappoint them some, but they’ll get over it and still love you. You need to start preparing for your future. Even if you live at home, you’re an adult and you have to be true to yourself. Try to reassure your parents that you’ll do your best to make it to church as often as you can.
I know the feeling of not wanting to disappoint your parents. Growing up I felt a lot of pressure to live up to my father’s expectations. When I had my first job and still lived with my parents, my father was adamant that I could not work Sundays or even Monday evenings. In fact, one time when I got scheduled on a Monday night he actually called my boss (who was my father’s councilor in a bishopric at the time) and threatened to make me quit if I ever got scheduled on Monday evening again. I worked at a college cafeteria that fed dorm students seven days a week. All of my Mormon friends had to take their turn working Sundays. Even in a community that was about 70% LDS it was very difficult to find a job that didn’t require working at least some Sundays. I worried a lot about disappointing my father. I nearly left the church as a teenager but didn’t because his disappointment was too hard for me to bear. Over time I have come to realize that his disappointment was
his, not mine. When he set expectations for me that were not my own he was bound to be disappointed now and then. But that was hisproblem, not mine. I have my own expectations for myself, and the only disappointment that matters is my disappointment in myself when I don’t live up to those. My relationship with my father has been better since I made that realization. I’m sure the fact that I don’t live with him anymore also plays a big part in that 🙂 . Parental love is usually very strong. I doubt your choice to work some Sundays would change that.Entry level jobs usually require some Sunday work. That’s the nature of the beast. Once you pay your dues, you can usually get those days off you prefer. I would hope your parents would understand that.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.