A New Direction...and a Job He Loves

Rob with one of his clients at Stanwood Senior Center

Rob Down had worked in management at a large Christian conference center for five years. But, a year and a half ago, like many other people in these times of economic stress, he found himself out of work. Rob had always enjoyed volunteering on missions trips and helping people in all walks of life. Now, too young for retirement and the volunteerism he loved, he couldn’t find a job.

Before his work at the conference center, he’d spent over twenty years as a licensed massage therapist. He remembers massaging his mother’s tired feet when he was a youngster. She always told him the Lord gave him gifted hands. Later, when his father was dying, he saw how the medical profession often fails to understand the needs of the elderly. He used his massage skills to bring comfort to his father and then to other older people.

During his long job hunt, Rob prayed for wisdom and God gave him an idea. He could combine his compassion for older people with his gift of therapeutic massage, and take it to senior centers, and other places where people needed that comfort and relief. Fifteen minutes of massage and encouraging conversation costs $10, or a prayer for the ministry, whichever people can afford. He calls his business “Pay or Pray Massage.”

Now Rob uses his gifts to do what he loves. And he’s making a living. How many people can say that about their jobs?

Stories like Rob’s can encourage us all to take another look at our God-given gifts and inspire us to ask God how He wants us to use them. Maybe some of us will launch out in new directions. Perhaps we’ll find, as Rob did, that being forced to change directions can be a good thing.

Rob Down’s contact information: rhdown@yahoo.com; 425.330.5012

Another client finds relief through Rob's gifted hands.

Ahhh!