I have a ministry and love it! Whenever I hear people mention how much they hate their jobs and can hardly wait until retirement (even though one person told me he won't retire for another 20 years!) I have to feel sorry for them. I wonder why some people have placed their lives in such a small box? For one thing I have learned through my professional and personal life if you ask God for something, you had better hang on because God will give it to you!
Years ago I prayed that God would place me in a career field where I could help other people. And that is always been the case. For I help people find their ministry or passion or purpose, whatever you want to call it. Another word would be purpose. We all need a purpose in life. I have learned through the hundreds of people I have served that if you don't enjoy your work, then find another kind of work to do. Life is too short (no I am not talking about my being 5'5" in height!)
I learned about work from my parents and grandparents. I never knew my two grandfathers because they had died long before I was born. My Grandma Joy was a simple farm wife who had lost her husband as a young mother of four daughters. Shortly before they had planned to purchase a farm after having rented their whole lives, my Grandfather Joy was killed by a train only yards from their farm. Grandma was not a highly educated woman but knew life. I remember her telling me, "I don't care what you grow up to be whether you are a sewage worker, garbage collector or college professor, be the best you can be!" Great advise and something that has never left me.
My Patterson heritage was just as rich. Again never having met my Grandfather Franklin Patterson (my father was named after him), I remember my father telling the story about how during the Great Depression, Grandpa Patterson could get a loan from the local banker with a simple handshake and promise to repay the money. That was the kind of integrity he had as a man of God. My father went on after his father died to join the Army to help pay his way through college and later seminary. I then watched both my mother and father who earned little money in their careers (thanks to the lack of generosity of some of their churches) serve God through the church and community. We always had people traveling through our communities eating at our table and receiving help from my parents.
And then I remember well the words of my mother when I asked her years ago about what God wanted me to do with my life. Her response has always stayed with me, "Mark, what makes you think that God has only one thing for you to do in this world? Don't box him in honey!" Such great advise from my Mom who is still giving me advice.
So service is like a label on my forehead given to me by Judge Judy! I knew before even going to college that whatever I did in life would involve serving others. God has used that in my job at the university where I work. I get to help men and women of all ages figure out their passions in their lives and to use them in service. It is the most gratifying job a man could have! Some days I feel a tremendous burden helping people in this process but God always gives me the wisdom and ability to help others.
So my friends, find your passion or ministry. Ask God to bless it and you will see unbelievable things happen each day in your work.
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Eph. 5: 1 & 2
No comments:
Post a Comment