Meant For This
Last night, I got to 3rd & Lindsley before Sandra was to play—with a full band!!!—so I got to have a little hang-out time with Derek. I’d seen him a week and a half prior, but since he was in and out of town so fast, we didn’t have much time at all to talk.
We talked about his new record—which I have, and I like, and am beginning to grok—and then we talked a little about my job. When you tell people that you work in the space program, you usually see a sense of wonderment on their faces. Frankly, I find it to be not all that wonderful at times—I see all the wonder stripped away by the details of the job. I’ll admit that I had fanciful notions of the way this job would be before I got into it.
I vividly remember a day in my old office across the way when I was between contracts and very much bummed out. That’s when I began to decide that this career wasn’t for me. I think that, on the balance, I was wrong. As I explained what I’d spent my weekend doing to Derek, he shook his head in amazement. “I guess I know that all that stuff goes on without me knowing about it,” he said, “but it’s still crazy to think about what all is involved.” I replied, “Yeah, but then I have no idea what goes into making a record.”
That sorta stopped him cold. “It’s a lot of the same things, really, I guess,” he replied. “We build pieces, assemble it …” As he trailed off, no more really needed to be said. I think we both realized at that moment—I know I did—that we both have been given unique talents by our Creator. Regardless of what I think about my abilities as an engineer, my employer thinks highly of them. They seem to think that I have even more potential within me. Who am I to say that they are wrong?
I’ve felt more at peace about things this week since I finally admitted to myself that it might be okay to reconsider my place within God’s Will. I know that sounds arrogant, but it’s not so much me trying to figure out what I want to do as to discern where God’s Will for my life is leading me. The more time I spend meditating on it, the more I begin to realize that, for now, my place is here, doing what I am doing.
It might be time to actually put down some roots. [Stop cheering, Rick. You're bothering your co-workers.]
so does this mean you’re taking the management job?
September 29th, 2004 at 2:56 pmI can’t take what hasn’t been offered to me.
They just want me to train at this point … apparently.
September 29th, 2004 at 3:15 pmFirst, I didn’t know you sang in a Chancel Choir…cool!
September 29th, 2004 at 11:34 pmSecond, I want to wish you a Happy Birthday early…so that I won’t forget.
Third, I’ll be praying for you as you continue to discern God’s direction for you.
Finally, I have no idea how you keep up with all of us, but I do know that you definitely must have a gift of encouragement, because you do an amazing job of it!
Know what you mean, my brother. I sit in my classes here each day and just keep feeling “I was so meant to do this…”
wonderful blessing
September 30th, 2004 at 11:07 pmTruly, that gift is from God, and any time that I use it, it is Him working through me and not anything of value that I’m really adding to it.
I keep up, though, thanks to syndication feeds. [Indirectly, that's of God as well, since He gave the coders the ability to make it happen. :D]
October 1st, 2004 at 10:13 amI don’t know how I missed this post, but congrats on recent realizations.
October 13th, 2004 at 11:29 amThese Latter Days
What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be.
Lord knows we’ve learned the hard way all about healthy apathy.
And I use these words pretty loosely.
There’s so much more to life than words.
– Over the Rhine, Good Dog, Bad D…
October 18th, 2004 at 10:30 am