For the Lord
“There, it’s loading. It should be finished in about 30 minutes.” </p><p> </p><p>I’m impressed with the tech person’s expertise. My computer had “died” and lost all the data. After I sent the hard drive to a recovery company, I received a “box” with the recovered data. This was encrypted and I was afraid to work with it. What if I mess it up and lose the data again? I did manage to get some files downloaded from this “box” to my new computer, and saw where the data was supposed to be, I thought, but I did not know how to access those files. So, I got reinforcement, taking the computer to the technology company. And that’s when the tech person got everything working with just a few clicks. I was impressed.</p><p> </p><p>I thought, I am thankful God gives us all different gifts and abilities! Obviously, I do not have the gift for working with technology. (Neither do I have that interest.) Likely, this tech person would not want to teach six- and seven-year-olds. That is my interest and gifting. I do not know how to upload (download?) these files; I cannot find the files; are those things even called files? And this guy probably doesn’t know how to teach first graders to read. What is orthographical mapping? What are phonemes? How do you do this Heggerty program?</p><p> </p><p>I thought of this again today when I was at the dentist. I wondered to myself if the hygienist enjoys her job. Doesn’t it get boring to go over every tooth? Polish each individual tooth, and scratch around on each one? She must have an interest in this, as she completed the schooling to do this job. She is very cheerful and pleasant, so I think she enjoys her work. Here again, I am thankful for different giftings. I would not like to work in people’s mouths and take all that time on teeth. But I love to work with my students, and I can enjoy spending a lot of time working with them individually, tutoring, guiding, and leading them in learning.</p><p> </p><p>As Roy W. Lowrie, Jr. says in <em>The Teacher’s Heart, </em>“if I am in God’s will as a Christian school teacher, then I am doing the very thing for which He created me.” (Lowrie, 1984). This will fulfill me as a person and those questions of “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “Where am I going?” will be answered (Lowrie, 1984).</p><p> </p><p>I am reminded of the song “My Task” by Maude Louise Ray. This song speaks of my task to “love someone more dearly every day, to help a wandering child to find his way” and “to do my best from dawn of day till night” and “to keep my heart fit for His holy sight.” These are tasks we can all be assigned.</p><p> </p><p>Embrace the work you are called to as you serve the Lord in that area, employing your skills, gifts, talents, and interests. Whatever we are called to do, whether being a tech person, a dental hygienist (or dental genius, as the kindergartner said 😊), or a teacher, let’s do it for the glory of the Lord and give our best.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24</p><p> </p><p>References: <em>The Teacher’s Heart, </em>Roy W. Lowrie, Jr., The Association of Christian Schools International, 1984.</p><p> </p><p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@freestocks?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">freestocks</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/person-using-black-laptop-computer-I_pOqP6kCOI?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>