Do Your Bit

I have something I'd like to get off of my chest.

The other day, a friend of mine said something that really stuck with me.  We were chatting about work, and, in the course of conversation, she made a comment comparing my drive and determination with her own.  In so many words, what I heard her say was, "I could never measure up to what you do; therefore I am inferior to you".  I will speak honestly, this exchange deeply grieved me.

Please don't get me wrong; I am very grateful for the blessing of a wonderful career.  The work I do is incredibly rewarding, full of opportunities and challenges and the benefits that come along with them.  On the face of things, it might even look pretty glamorous.

Here's the thing, though.  It just so happens that the skills and qualities and personality traits and life experiences that make up the package that is Carrie suit me for the work that I do.  I didn't wire myself up to be good at building spreadsheets and drafting emails and reading legal documents; it just kind of happened that way.  In fact, the only things about myself that I am a little proud of are my integrity and my work ethic, and those are things that I learned at the knee of my dad, so I can't even really take credit for those.  I just can't ever quite shake I Corinthians 4:7, which says "For who maketh thee to differ from another?  And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?"  Cuts a person down to size, doesn't it?

Now, on the flip side, let's talk about some of the things that I admire.  I have a brother-in-law and a friend who can make, literally, anything.  Their innate understanding of how things work never ceases to blow my mind.  What would cost me hours of struggle and misery to install or build or fix is but a few minutes of minimal effort in their hands.

Then, there's my dear, dear friend Tunie and her daughter and daughter-in-law.  I'm continually amazed at their ability to create things.  Put a brush or a crayon or a set of needles in any one of their hands, and whatever materializes will be beautiful.  Not only that, but all three are capable of accurately portraying the world around them, of drawing a pig that actually looks like a pig - a skill that utterly and completely eludes me.

I know a couple of people who never seem to get lost.  It's like they have little built-in navigation systems somewhere inside them, and can figure out exactly when to turn, where to park, and how to find the entrance, all without a bit of stress.  I have to admit, I envy them a little bit.

Then, there's my sister Katie and my friend Justin.  I don't think either one of them has ever met a stranger.  Whenever I'm with either one of them and I watch them interact with their surroundings, I'm utterly blown away at the ease with which they breach the protective walls that we human beings construct around us.  They both constantly inspire me to conquer my introverted tendencies, to reach out and touch and connect with others.

And finally, if I were to make a list of five of the people that I look up to and admire the most, that I watch and listen to and think, "I would like to be just like that person", I know just who those five would be.  All five of them are stay-at-home (or mostly stay-at-home) moms.  None have ever had fancy schooling or high-falutin jobs.  Often, they tend to be overshadowed, sidelined, ignored, in favor of the flashier, the wittier, the "smarter".  And yet, I have watched these women over the years - watched them care for their husbands and raise their children, open their hearts and their homes to whoever happened to cross their paths, raise their hands and their faces to their Creator in moments of worship, tirelessly give of themselves over and over and over again.  I have watched and I have been filled with love and admiration and a longing for just that kind of servant's heart.

I guess, what I'm trying to say in this long and rambling post is, it really doesn't matter what your little niche happens to be.  If you're a Fortune 500 CEO, run that company like a pro.  If you're a kindergarten teacher, teach to the very best of your abilities.  If you cut hair, show the world what an awesome hairdresser looks like.  If you sell things, throw those shoulders back and sell, sell, sell.  If you clean houses, make those houses positively sparkle.  If you're a high-schooler, nail those grades and ditch that awkward. (Okay, maybe there are limits...)  Anyway, whatever you are, be a darn good one.  And never, ever, ever hang your head in shame.  You may not realize it, but rest assured, if you're giving it your all, your talents are making a difference.

The Apostle Paul summed it up very nicely (and far more succinctly than I) when he said, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord". (Col 3:24)

AMEN and AMEN.

Ahhhh, I feel so much better!