There was something so refreshing about accomplishing a day's work as a wireman. I could go to work, strap on my tool belt, and steadily accomplish tasks until a specific project was completed. Working with countless other electricians over the years, we would laugh and struggle, sweat and bleed together. I lost friends to the industry and saw many more injured. But it was in the struggle that we bonded, and whether crawling through an attic in August, with the temperatures reaching 135 degrees, or huddling around a propane heater at 18 below, there was community in the task of completing a job. There was mutual dependence and reliance; there was the understanding that we were there for each other and working towards the same goal.
Today, life is very different. There is great joy in my "job" but at times my days are often spent in isolation, studying and strategically planning future ideas and events. Much of my time is spent in study and preparation, seeking answers for some of the hardest questions of life. When I do spend time with people it is often designated to listening and caring; it is spent counseling and giving hope even in times when all hope seems to be fading like vaporous raindrops on a hot summer sidewalk. The enormity of the tasks of the ministry never seem far away and sometimes there's a very real feeling of inadequacy and futility; at times it appears that the job is too great and there's not enough that can be done to slow-down the momentum of our ever-changing, ever-struggling world. Sometimes, I feel very alone. So the question is, would I go back to a 7am to 330pm existence that was clearly defined and easily understood? Would I go back to being able to categorize my life with a simple description when asked what I do: "I'm an electrician"? The answer, thankfully, is no. I could never go back to my previous occupation because I know for a fact who I am and what I have been called to do. Are there times when it would be nice to leave my work at work? Absolutely. Do I miss the feeling of completing a project and being able to say to my wife and children, "See that building? I put those lights in." Sure. (Incidentally, I don't think Marcy was ever that impressed with the light fixtures I so proudly pointed out). To forsake now what God is doing in me and through me in exchange for the temporary security and emotional gratification of my previous job would be at it's best sad and at it's worst pure disobedience.
In the Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul spends time in his instructions for the church in Philippi helping them to realize the importance of focus and the necessity of obedience. In describing his own "qualifications" for authority and faithfulness, Paul leads the church to an encouraging statement in Philippians 3:13-14: "Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what's ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Paul is saying, "I could dwell on past achievements or I can move forward. I choose to move forward." This idea of "pressing on" should inspire us to leave the past in the past and persevere towards the future that God has in store for us. The reality is that peering back at my days in the electrical field are kind of distorted. Yes, there were good times but there were also hard times. And by the end of my time as an electrician, I knew for a fact that the only way I could live in peace was to get out of the trade and grab onto what God had placed before me. There's a saying, "Life isn't lived through the rearview mirror." I have grabbed onto this truth and I am living it everyday. If we spend all our time dwelling on the past we will never be able to see what God has coming up for us in the future. The past is God's gift to us, allowing us to gauge how far He has brought us and to encourage us to keep going forward.
So my prayer is that you will grab onto what God wants you to learn from your past without letting that past trap you in immeasurable and unreachable possibility. Stay focused not on what could have been but rather keep progressing towards what could someday be. It is 3:24pm; if I had stayed an electrician I would be getting off of work in about 6 minutes. If I had stayed an electrician I would most likely not be writing this to you and many of you would not be part of my life. I love the fact that in obedience we can become more than we ever thought we could be. Let today be the first step towards a tomorrow filled with the hope, joy, and peace that can only come from being exactly where God would want you to be.
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