It is really hard for me to sit still. I admit that I know I have a weakness. Every fiber in my being likes to spring into action – if in doubt make a mess! I just cannot sit and do nothing; well, maybe I am learning to, at least a little bit.
My father instilled in me a strong work ethic. Working hard is a way of life linked directly to one’s personal value system, ethics, and identity. Getting the job done at all costs is a given in every equation I face. Personal feelings, needs, and satisfaction are all secondary when it comes to something I think I am responsible for delivering. For this, and more, I will always be thankful for the way my parents raised me.
My dilemma comes when I apply the lessons of my childhood indiscriminately to every part of my life! Working hard is ok if one knows where the power to achieve and win comes from. When I was young I often fell into the trap of swinging a hammer as hard as I could, often damaging the wood and leaving the nail untouched! As I grew older I thought I was getting smarter until I discovered that there is more than one way to build a cabinet or carve a bowl. I still keep my first wood working project in my closet as a reminder of how futile it is to try and make a bad design sleek and striking!
These lessons bring me to examine my relationship with God with a clean slate at the beginning of each day. I know that my “obsession with self in these [doing it on one’s own] matters is a dead end; [and that] attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.” (Romans 8.6) Am I willing to let God do the work?
Yes! To some it may appear that I am doing nothing. In reality, I am doing my job. By being and letting go, I am everything in God. God’s power rules!
