"Days of Our Lives"

Yes, Lydia and I are now settling in at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, in Schulenburg, Texas! This was a difficult move--in some ways, even more difficult than the one from Virginia to Maine; and we did suffer some damaged and apparently lost articles in this process. We're both dealing with a persistent cough, too, probably brought on by coming to a new place with new things in the air to which we're not accustomed. (We'll address those concerns, if necessary, with the help of a doctor.) The people are wonderful, though, and the church is enthusiastic, with definite possibilities to renew its strength and its position in the community. There are no guarantees in any endeavor, of course; but I feel really good about the prospects. I don't know what universal life principles or spiritual truths I have learned over these past few months; but a few personal observations do come to mind as I finish my third week in a new ministry! First, I think that many people give up on their life purpose too easily. They come to a conclusion that they can no longer continue along their chosen path; so they settle for something else. Often, the truth of the matter is quite different. It isn't that they can no longer continue along a certain path, but that they have made the decision that to do so isn't worth the price they'll have to pay--and that's an entirely different matter. They find that the conditions they would have to meet or the hardships they would face are unacceptable; so they turn in another direction. Perhaps this is a reasonable thing to do; but it seems to me that many people make the decision, in the emotional periods of frustration and disappointment, that the effort required to achieve their goals is more than they want to put forth. Years later, they have to live with the regret of not fulfilling the possible dream, having convinced themselves that it couldn't be done. I have come to this kind of crossroads several times in my life. Each time, God has given me the strength, the opportunity, and the discernment, to see the open doors that still remained, and has led me through those doors to a deeper faith and a new ministry. Second, I think we must be willing to "think outside the probable." This is difficult. We often have expectations for what the next phase of our lives will be like. We make assumptions about where we will go or what we will do. Whether consciously or otherwise, we almost write these expectations in stone in our minds, or we allow ourselves to be influenced by other people or circumstances. Six years ago, I never thought I'd be moving to Maine. Six months ago, coming to Texas seemed the most unlikely thing in the world. Still, I remained open to the improbable because I saw no reason to rule out anything. What mattered most to me was to try to be true to my calling and my responsibilities. When it actually came time to make decisions, moving to Maine and, later, to Texas, seemed like the most natural and logical thing in the world. I am aware of many mistakes I have made in my life, as I'm sure we all are when considering our own individual paths. I do not second-guess myself for one minute, however, for pursuing every possible opportunity to continue in my calling or for being open to the improbable twists and turns of life, no matter where they lead me. I don't know any other way that a person could live as a Christian, and still claim to have faith inGod. I want more and more to trust God completely. His ways are surely wiser and better than mine. And I still desire to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in the way that He has ordained that it should be done. We are not all called to be full-time ministers of the Christian Gospel; but we all have a purpose to pursue, and we all need encouragement to think beyond that which is most probable or most comfortable.

"Something that Helps People"

Recently, I was talking about career choices with someone who said, "I wanted to do something that helps people." I've heard that phrase a lot over the years. I used to accept it uncritically, assuming that I knew what was meant. It sounded admirable, selfless, giving. Actually, I've now come to realize that the phrase "something that helps people," when applied to career choices is a pretty meaningless phrase and can actually have a rather sinister motive--regardless of the intentions of the speaker. Are we to assume that certain professions, like teaching, nursing, or social work, actually help people, and other professions somehow do not help people? If a person goes into business and actually makes a profit, is that somehow not as helpful to people as the person who is working for a nonprofit agency? Are certain businesses less helpful to the populace than other businesses? This whole idea of "doing something that helps people" is highly subjective. If a guy sells life insurance or paves parking lots, aren't those things helping people? If somebody sells cars or owns a restaurant, isn't that person helping people? In fact, isn't just about any job a way of helping somebody accomplish something worthwhile? Otherwise, you probably wouldn't get paid to do the job! The person who talks about wanting to "do something that helps people" may be hiding a kind of prejudice against certain businesses or professions, or suggesting--even if very subtly and almost unconsciously--that his motives are somehow superior to those of the construction worker or the banker or the owner of the grocery store who is doing honest work for a profit, or the developer who is planning a community in which people can live a certain pleasant kind of life. I think that the next time I hear somebody say that they want to do something that "helps people," i'll be tempted to ask, "And just what kind of career would be one that does *not help people?" I'd be interested to see what they would say!