Not Working on Mothers' Day

Not Working on Mothers' Day

My husband and I had always taught our children to keep the Sabbath day holy, which included obeying the Lord’s commandment, “Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest… ye shall do no work therein” (Leviticus 23:3).

When our son, Richard was preparing to serve a mission, he worked as a waiter in a well-known restaurant in Cape Town, where we lived. It was a very popular restaurant, and one had to book a table in advance to eat there. It was always busy. When Richard went for the job interview, he told his potential employer that he wouldn’t work on Sundays as he attends church and that the rest of the day was to be kept as a holy day, not working, as taught in the Bible. He was immediately employed, and earned the respect of the manager for standing up for his beliefs.

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Everything went well and Richard did well in his job, earning and saving money for his mission. At the beginning of May, as Mothers’ Day approached, the manager called a staff meeting and announced that as Mothers’ Day was one of the busiest days of the year for the restaurant, everyone had to work that day. Mothers’ Day is always on a Sunday. No one would be excused from work that day. After the meeting, all the staff were to look at the schedule drawn up and put on the noticeboard, to see when their shifts were.

As Richard thought about what was happening, he decided that he would have to resign from his job rather than work on the Sabbath day. It was really important to him to obey the Lord. At last the crowd around the schedule thinned out and Richard approached the noticeboard to see when his shift would be. He read through it, then examined it again more closely. His name was not on the schedule! He would not be required to work on Mothers’ Day. He was the only staff member who didn’t have to work that Sunday.

Because he had stood up for his standards and made them clear in advance, he was being blessed. He could keep the Sabbath day holy and wouldn’t lose his job. His beliefs were being respected. It was a testimony to the entire family that the Lord is aware of us and how we strive to obey Him, and that He helps us do so.