Posted by Steven Benjamin on June 19, 2009, 9:33 pm
It has been a hectic week this week. It was so nice to sound the Shofar having observed the final orange hues of daylight fade of the reflected cast against the clouds on the horizon into the night sky.
Sometimes, You got to stand. Sometimes, you have to TAKE A STAND.
When I went to pick up my paycheck today, I took a dictionary. The manager had me sign my name for my check, I looked a moment for the line,
she said, "do you need someone to explain it to you..." and laughed jokingly, I said, "No, but, I may need a translator..." She said..."what, why is something wrong..." I said, "well yes, actually there is..."
My application before ever being called in to interview, noted I would not work during Sabbath.
It actually just said I was available "DAYLIGHT ONLY" on Friday, and "DARK ONLY" pm Saturdays.
When I sat in the interview, I explained it in detail however, that it was for reasons of religious observance as I keep Sabbath.
Last week, I noted that she had scheduled me during Sabbath anyway. I told an Assitant manager, actually it was Last Friday am, that I would NOT be working in that timeframe that it was on my corporate application, that I had explained myself in the matter during my interview, that in past employment It was known I kept Sabbath and did not work in the timeframe.
The Asssitant Manager told me she would bring it to the managers attention. I said "ok." And let it go.
Last Wednesday, after I was still scheduled to work in the timeframe, I spoke to the manager of the issue on the phone. I was scheduled to work Tommorrow and Sunday this weekend. I went to work yesterday, and they had crossed me off the schedule for Sunday. I went in great detail in my phone call Wednesday, still there it was.
So today, I took a dictionary. When asked if something was wrong, I said "yes as a matter of fact, there is." And I sat down and opened a 9th collegiate edition of Websters Dictionary to the first page of "S" and I turned it around pushed it to her, placing finger at the entry for "SABBATH" and told her, "I DONT KNOW HOW TO MAKE THIS ANY MORE PLAIN TO YOU."
She said, "OK, you have told us five times you wont work Sabbath I dont need you bringing me a dictionary, I know what Sabbath means"
I told her, "Evidentally not, and that just the point, I have told you several times, and YOU STILL HAVE ME SCHEDULED FOR TOMMORROW."
She told me, she had not gotten around to changing the schedule, I told her somebody had, and that my hours for Sunday were deleted and she told me that was not true, I told her it most certainly was, that the schedule had been altered since our last conversation AND I WAS STILL SCHEDULED TO WORK DURING SABBATH.
She went and got the schedule and found I was right. Another manager had deleted my hours for Sunday. I told her had no changes been made, then Perhaps I could have assumed she simply had not gotten around to it, but the fact was the schedule had been changed, and I was still scheduled to work tommorrow.
She saw my point, and then argued not with the point, but with the way I chose to make it, telling me "You know, I think it's a little disrespectful of you to bring a dictionary in here and try to show me the definition of Sabbath like I am a little child..."
I conceeded that perhaps it was, But I also felt that it was a little disprespectful to place me in the postion to have to go to such lengths to make my point, and to have to repeat myself in the matter FOUR TIMES VERBALLY after I had made the point ONE TIME in writing on my application before they ever called me in for the job. She was furious, but there was nothing else she could say. I left and went to the corporate headquarters, They have been moved, but I will be there first thing Monday morning. This whole week has been atagonistic with that job however. It is not just the issue of Sabbath. They have told me verbally hours I am to work, and then recorded otherwise on the schedule, having me write those Hours down in front of them, repeat such back, to be told when I showed up for work, after USING MY GAS, that I wasnt on schedule for the day! What a crock, anyway. Respect is a two way street, if you tell somebody they are going to work certain hours, you should at least have the courtesy to tell them if you change the same. They had me on my hands and knees scrubbing walls, on my hands and knees on a Soaking wet floor after I had told them when asked what I could and could not do, that THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD NOT DO, but there were somethings I felt were not prudent, working in the back kitchen when the floor was covered with soap and water I felt was imprudent and my very first night, there I was. A few days later, after Sabbath passed, and I went to go in last Monday, the nasty water from those negelected walls which stunk up my pants had seeped into my stump liner which holds on my leg. I had cleaned it, but Monday morning, I found it was to no avail as that liner was REULSIVE! I mean hide it in a bag across the room repulsive! I went to my prosthetics guy before work and he told me they should have to replace it. You have to hand wash it, and it cost $800.oo, when I told them at work that day about it, they tried to turn it around on me. I had told them two days prior I did not need to work in that particular situation, and they placed me in it anyway, I felt it was a saftey hazard, but when asked anyway, I did it, because I was not going to admit I could not, as such simply is not true, as I not only did it, I did it well. But when I told them I admantaly WOULD NOT DO THAT AGAIN, they tried to suggest I should have told them such, I DID TELL THEM!
I don't mean to vent so, but you know, there are weeks like this, and the past few weeks have been trying, but there are weeks like this, when at those final few moments before sunset on Friday, I look to the Horizon, and let me say, if you do not get out and see the sunset, even if you keep Sabbath, I highly recommend next Sabbath you make it a point to bring it in by watching the setting sun. Weeks like this, in those final moments there is an overwhelming sensation of realization of satisfaction, of having "MADE IT." As all week long, especially on a week like this, one longs for REST, one longs for the time when One can set all stessors aside, to again be reunited with all creation in the very origins of life on this planet. As you in that time, become aware the light of God, existed 3 full days before the Sun was even created, before the MOON AND THE STARS ever existed, you realize then, that when YHWH said, "LET THERE BE LIGHT, There was light and it was good,"and it was good, but it was not THE SUN, it was if anything..."THE SON"...it was not LIGHT as an OBJECT, it was LIGHT as a LIFE FORCE!
God bless you all who remain faithful to hear his voice, to move when prompted, to have an ear to hear, on this particular Sabbath, may you find rest, and may you do so exponentially magnified of the joy to which I myself finally now recieve,
HAPPY SABBATH, Shabbat Shalom,
-Benjamin
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