I’m going to take a moment here for a very odd post for us at the RBC, a personal post. You see in just a few weeks I will have a major new beginning in my life. On March 31st at about noon this post will be published. On that day my old life will end. At the time of publication, I will be having my farewell lunch with my coworkers as it will be my last day of work ever. April 1st starts my new life! As of April 1st, I am retired! NO Foolin’. I will be retired!
That old Beatles song comes to mind: “The Long and Winding Road.” I have worked my whole life, well most of it. I started as an early grade-schooler sweeping neighbors’ sidewalks and driveways for a dollar. Big money to me back in the sixties. Did the normal early teenage jobs such as cutting grass and babysitting. I had my first real job with a paycheck at age 14. Well, we were paid in cash as we were underage.
Most of the diverse list of jobs I have had was while in school: high school, college, and graduate school. I’ve worked in retail, food industry, and manufacturing. I’ve had a number of secondary jobs attempting to supplement my income to support my family. I did retail again, tried sales—not good at that, made absolutely no sales—even taught classes in basic Christianity for a Baptist college.
My two main careers were working for a major boot manufacturer and for state government. In the first one, I started as a security guard while in seminary. Fantastic job! I could do my homework and studying while on the job. They just needed a presence in the parking lot to keep people from messing with cars of the employees and to check packages of workers as they left the plant. When I graduated, I was given a job as a foreman in the shipping department. My last promotion was to supervisor of one of the company’s distribution centers. As my oldest daughter was getting ready to start school, my wife and I decided we did not want to raise our family in that large city, so we moved to her home state.
No job and no place to live, we stayed with my in-laws for four months: my wife, two kids, and myself. While there we found out we had a third child on his way. After a difficult search, life decisions, and a couple of moves, I was able to get a job with the state as a taxman. Not where I ever thought I would end up. God moves in very strange ways; but in a couple of years, I took a training position with IT in the same department. I had no education or background for the job, but God does what man can’t! I’ve been in IT now over 23 years.
In all of this, I was never one of those blessed persons who had a job they loved. I did try to enjoy what I did and to do my very best at it. I did have a brief period where I was doing some creative programming for the unit I oversaw. We added new functionality and improved processes, but it was a short-lived experience. For the most part, I’m not crazy about the work but was blessed to have a job that supported my family and helped my kids get to where they are as adults.
I always heard growing up “Find what you love to do and make that your career.” That sounds good, but what if you never find what you love? You do get to the point where the obligations you have and the lives that depend on you means you can’t simply start over hoping you have found that dream career. Maybe having a job you love is a myth like a unicorn. I have heard there are people who love what they do, who look forward to going to work each day, but I was not one of them. Not sure I’ve seen one either.
I did have hobbies I enjoyed. I have done a bit of woodworking and really enjoyed it, but it is expensive, right now with the price of wood is very expensive. I did a vegetable garden for a few years but not a hobby I enjoyed—that is a whole story for another time. I love to read and study. I would even write some papers on theological issues. That was fun!
This writing took on a new life about a year ago when at the urging of my daughter, we started this blog. I love doing it! I love reading, studying, researching, and writing. I don’t know that I am good at it yet, but I do think I am getting better. Most of all, I love we are doing something that matters. We are working to grow the Body of Christ: to grow believers in their knowledge and understanding of God and—Lord willing—are being used of Him to bring people into the Kingdom. I may not know how successful we are until Heaven, but that is OK. We are doing what God has called us to do and loving it at the same time. That is a cool combination!
What have I learned in these 45 years of working? First, they are right. Find what you love and pursue it. If you don’t find the career you love, that inspires your life, it is ok. You did not fail. You can still have a good and full life. Whether you do or don’t find the dream career, do everything as to the Lord. Serve God in your job, He will bless you. Not always financially, but He will bless your faithfulness. Even when you hate it, do it as if God Himself had asked you to do it. Find the joy in what you do. Trust me it is there somewhere.
It is kind of like marriage. I worked with a lady from India and we were talking about the differences in our cultures, differences in marriages in particular. In her culture, arranged marriages were common. Of course, being an American, I could never see me doing that, but she said something that stuck with me. She said, “You marry the one you love, we love the one we married.” Think about that. So you may not love the job you get but learn to love what you do.
Second, but first in priority, seek God in all you do. I don’t know that I always read God correctly. But, in most cases, I did try to take the direction I thought He was leading me. In hindsight, I was wrong a few times, some major times. But do you know what? I believe God was blessing me anyway. He was blessing me for my seeking and my attitude of obedience. So, don’t worry about being perfect. It is not what He expects. Do your best, don’t wait for perfection. Sorry to tell you, but perfect will not come this side of Glory.
Finally, the lesson mentioned above is true not only for your career but also for your spouse. Find a Godly Christian spouse. One with an earnest heart for God not just a churchgoer but a true follower of our Lord. You are not perfect nor will that person be perfect.
Then combine the way we do it with the example of my coworker from India. Marry the one you love. The one you can see living your whole life with, raising children with, and growing old with. Then love the one you marry. They will grow and change with the years just as you will. Love that person for who they are not for who they were or who you want them to be. No matter what the songs or stories say, love is a choice. You must decide to love them each day.
Also, love is not just a feeling, a warm fuzzy, but active work. Yes, work! You will have to work at being and showing love. Sometimes it is easy, but there will be times it is very hard and undesirable but oh the difference if you put in the work. After nearly 33 years of marriage, it still takes work to make it work. I have been blessed to have my very best friend as my wife.
Well, that was a long “finally”. Let me close by saying I’m not just leaving my working years. There was a time when that was true. I just wanted out. This is not an end but a new beginning. I hope to spend the rest of my life working on posts for the RBC. I don’t know what God has for me and for us at the RBC, but I’m open. Maybe some teaching or other writing. I don’t know, but I want to be available for where He will lead.
Thanks for letting me ramble. Next week we will be back to our normal posts. While this may have been a unique post for us, I pray it was of benefit to your walk with Christ as we hope is true of all our posts. God Bless and come on back next week!
Until the next time we see you here at CultivatingFaith.org, God Bless! #CultivatingFaithOrg
Photo by Pema Gyamtsho on Unsplash