A Prayer for Service Workers During the Holidays

Lord,

I am thinking of those who served me today as I did my errands. First off, there were the owners of the service station, who took the summer tires off my car and put the winter tires on; the cashier at the convenience store; the deli worker who sliced the Colby cheese for me at the grocery store; the vendors at the same store, who, although they didn’t directly serve me, ordered their items so another customer could get what he or she wanted. There was the young man doing some “weight-lifting” as he filled the potato display with big bags of potatoes; the man filling the milk display so I could get some; the cashier at the front end with her smile and cheerful attitude. Then there was the man at the post office, the cashier at the pharmacy, the cashier at the dollar store, and the man picking up our garbage. 

Lord, here in my country, the stores are already busy with people shopping for Thanksgiving meals and Christmas get-togethers. Having worked in stores at the holiday season, I know what it’s like. You worked with people as well, as You walked this earth. You know what it’s like. People can be polite, cheerful, rude, impatient, angry, or miserable.

Lord, bless those who are service workers this holiday season, particularly those in close contact with customers. Help them believe and know their self-worth doesn’t come from how well they do their jobs but from the fact they are human beings—made in Your image. Help them get their breaks at work when they should. Help them get rest for bodies and souls. Help them get warm baths for tired, achy muscles and sore feet. Bless them and may they not be considered expendable by either customers or employers, but even if they are, help them remember that’s not the real story. The real story is they are precious and treasured by You.

Lord, thank You for Your awesome love for us. Help us treat one another as precious and worthy because we are made in Your image. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

©P. Booher

Scripture references: Genesis 1:26, 27, 31; Genesis 2:18-23; Psalm 139:13-18; Romans 5:6-8