After having visiting U of T to vie for a job which, I found out, could have upwards of 200 other keen applicants (eeek!) I took my unemployed self to Kensingtons (the cafe...situated in the neighbourhood of the same name) to drop off an additional résumé for kicks. What an odd stage of life is this that I could be equally as happy with assisting the president of a university or serving espressos to bohos. I've been thinking a lot about the ability to work, in general, and how my skills, experience, gifts and talents are important only insofar as they are used to interact with my world and the people in it. I figure I'd be happy scrubbing toilets if God needed me to befriend a few cleaning staff in a dingy corner of the city. I'd also be happy doing event coordinating again (oddly enough, perhaps not as keen as I would be scrubbing toilets...because of the pressures and temptations involved with a high profile job) if God needed me to befriend a few crotchety business suits in a polished boardroom somewhere.
This morning, I was reading Joshua 19 and came across this verse:
"The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah's portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah." (v. 9)
What an amazing concept and life verse, I thought, so I chewed on it a little longer and came out with a prayer. Would You keep me conscious of what I have that is more than what I need and show me who to give it away to. Thank you that my portion of dreams is more than I can handle and precludes the participation of others. Let the same overabundance be seen in areas of finance, love, time, wisdom and compassion. Let me continually have more than I need. Let me continually give away. Let me be blessed to see others come into their inheritance by me sharing mine.
Thank you Andrew for your deep thoughts on the matter. You make me largh too.
Sure blogging takes the place of conversations once made in person. Maybe the place of literary masterpieces that would have taken time, energy and discipline. Much like Michelangelo vs. ceiling tiles, or Mozart vs. "The Salads", "The Strokes", "The Spoons", "The White Stripes" and I'm sure; "The Lettuce".
I think worse than this, is the generation's tendency to look at their life from some image of a "larger perspective" (any good emo likes to dabble with this), and see that they are born so they can go to school, so they can get a job, so they can retire, so they can die. They read about DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Mozart while getting their necessary education, and see "life".
"This guy had accomplishments that people even now are talking about. DaVinci had a book of pictures of helicopters - maybe I can do that too. Maybe I can make a dent in the world. Maybe I'm worth something. Maybe I can have people talk about me years from now. Because right now - I'm not worth sh!t. I live, and I die. I need to scream my thoughts from rooftops; I need to get my word out there. I need to mean something, to someone - but even so - who are they, to be worth anything for me to care? When I die - I'm dead."
Now, depending on the person, the root isn't quite this well known. The world is set up according to "action/reaction" laws - and it doesn't matter on whether or not one sees the "action" - there's still a reaction. There are still countries under the poverty line whether or not you choose to go on a mission to see it, or not. There is a noise in the forest when a tree falls. You will still be producing rotten fruit, whether you realize a part of you is not in His perfect plan or not. Saving treasures where computer viruses and network crashes destroy? In the true eternal picture: who the crap really cares?
But who am I? I have rotten fruit; but I am not moved to make an entropic society. That is, after all, another law of nature.
“Hey, look at me, I posted my opinion on the inter-web!” Just live in the vine, and go out and heal someone. I’m tired of the noise.