{"id":101,"date":"2018-05-21T09:06:08","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T15:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/?p=101"},"modified":"2018-05-22T15:12:25","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T21:12:25","slug":"blessed-is-he-who-has-found-his-work-light-from-many-lamps-assignment-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/2018\/05\/21\/blessed-is-he-who-has-found-his-work-light-from-many-lamps-assignment-2\/","title":{"rendered":"“Blessed is He Who Has Found His Work” – Light From Many Lamps Assignment 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

The story that impressed upon me in this week\u2019s reading was that of Thomas Carlyle.\u00a0 The writings of Carlyle echo those of John Burroughs, a man who also realized that work was a blessing and that the absence of work was wretchedness, dejection and despair (Watson, 1951).\u00a0 Many working people set their sights on the day when they no longer need to work, and I admit that I often do the same.\u00a0 Yet I am arrested by Carlyle\u2019s statement:\u00a0 \u201cA man perfects himself by working.\u201d\u00a0 (Watson, 1951)\u00a0 Indeed as a leader I need to savour each moment I have been given to work, both for my own personal growth and for the benefit of those I lead, and plan to engage myself in meaningful activity once I leave the workplace.<\/p>\n

As in the last series of readings I am struck not only by Carlyle\u2019s inspired writings, but also by his background.\u00a0 Here is a man who persisted in finding his calling; he did not find it immediately.\u00a0 From the human viewpoint he had tried professions that would be associated with the highest calling \u2013 pastor, teacher \u2013 and was humble enough to change direction when he realized that he had made a mistake.\u00a0 Teaching and pastoring was not what he was called to do, no matter how noble those professions are.\u00a0 To some critics it likely appeared that he had \u201csettled\u201d on being a writer, but writing was his life\u2019s work, and what he was intended to contribute to the world.\u00a0 As a leader I need to remember to be humble and admit when I mistakes, change direction when I need to, and not concern myself with what others consider prestigious or noble.<\/p>\n

As I reflect on my own circumstances I am going to explore three of the many reasons why this story stands out above the rest.\u00a0 First, I have spent considerable time reflecting on the last 2 years on my own work as my calling.\u00a0 I had the opportunity to see John Bevere preach the message found in the attached video<\/a>, and I am as moved and impacted today as I was years ago.\u00a0 Ironically, the second example in this video tells the story of one of this year\u2019s Grade 12 graduates in our youth group.\u00a0 He feels the pressure of following in his father\u2019s and grandfather\u2019s footsteps to go into the ministry and become a pastor, but in spite of the pressure and others’ disappointment he has chosen to go to university to become an accountant.\u00a0 Similar to Carlyle he would not find fulfillment or happiness in the ministry.\u00a0 Despite the high calling that the ministry is, it will mean nothing in the end for this young man, or for any of us, if that is the path we take but it is not what we were meant to do.\u00a0 As a leader in this context I need to encourage these youth, the leaders of the next generation, to chase after and pursue their calling.<\/p>\n

Second, I have a twenty year old daughter who is still wrestling with finding her destiny and her career.\u00a0 I am encouraged by Carlyle\u2019s story because it reminds me that we don\u2019t have to get it right the first time; if we are humble, we can always correct our course.\u00a0 I started with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology because I was going to be a doctor \u2013 I had to correct that course and become a physical therapist, which also meant that the years in my first degree were, from a humanistic point of view, a waste of time and money.\u00a0 Years later I am in an administrative position.\u00a0 I have had to correct my course, and my daughter(s) may yet have to make some course corrections.\u00a0 As a leader in my home I need to lead by example and influence my daughters to find their life purpose, even if it means changing course.<\/p>\n

Third, I have personally experienced the detrimental and devastating effects of men (gender specific) not having meaningful work.\u00a0 Due to the personal nature of the situations I am not able to expound on this thought fully, but now have been personally affected by the lives of two men, both free from drug use for over a decade, succumb back to their drug addiction because of the depression, dejection and despair that comes with not having work.\u00a0 I have observed first hand the truth in Carlyle\u2019s writing:\u00a0 \u201cIn idleness alone is there perpetual despair.\u201d\u00a0 (Watson, 1951)\u00a0 As a leader I need to remember, and remind others, that work truly is a blessing, and that “labor is life”.\u00a0 (Watson, 1951)<\/p>\n

How often do we dismiss from our minds that our work is truly a blessing?\u00a0 How often do we complain about having to go to work?\u00a0 Do we take the time to contemplate how work sharpens us, grows us, perfects us?\u00a0 I look forward to your thoughts.<\/p>\n

References<\/p>\n

MessengerTV. (2016, Nov 9)\u00a0 Called – John Bevere [Video file].\u00a0 Retrieved from https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b5jCQkK6Rs8<\/p>\n

Watson, L. E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps<\/em>.\u00a0 New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The story that impressed upon me in this week\u2019s reading was that of Thomas Carlyle.\u00a0 The writings of Carlyle echo those of John Burroughs, a man who also realized that work was a blessing and that the absence of work was wretchedness, dejection and despair (Watson, 1951).\u00a0 Many working people set their sights on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,30],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ldrs500","category-ldrs500-unit-4","tag-light-from-many-lamps","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/258"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions\/107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/achsahs-springs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}