Changes
These days I get asked the same question over and over again with a sense of consistency that sadly almost makes the question numb. To be honest though if I change my perspective everytime the question is asked it's actually quite refreshing. The question is of course:"How has life been like after graduation?"
When I first graduated I didn't have much to say (How could I? I just graduated). I talked about finding a job and studying for the CSC. That was practically half a year ago. So what has been happening since? Well ... God blessed me with a job 3 months later being an Analyst at D-Link Networks. I went into the position with the anticipation and enthusiasm of a student that was thirsting for knowledge. Being an an analyst is where I had hoped to start out my career. Looking back I've learned a few invaluable tidbits of wisdom that only experience can bring. I had expected that the work environment would be as fast-paced and ever changing as they were during my days at Laurier. Unfortunately I have learned that work is more about consistency and not variety . My weekly responsibilities are not meant to change as often as an assignment or preparations for the next midterm. Advancement comes with time and being consistently on guard for opportunities to take the initiative. Work is also a place where God has called me to be a witness - especially in a business environment. I find that there is often a lack of 'human'ness when any employee of a business is conducting 'business'. I often find myself being called to bring back a sense of 'human'ness to work. In other words, I tend to want to see other co-workers as 'people' and not 'resources'. Regardless of my role at work I am blessed to be there. I have learned that there is no reason for complaints. Striving to be the best that I am at my job is also striving to become a more diligent servant for God (Colossians 1:3).
Although I've been putting it off for a while and I should have been done by now, my CSC exams are fast approaching. All I can say is that I truly respect and admire individuals who work full-time, study throughout the night, AND have a family to take care of. My schedule as of late has been coming home from work at 6:30pm, eating dinner and decompressing by 8:00pm, and studying until 10:30 so I can get into bed by 11:00pm. It is because of this schedule that I've appeared to have become a social ghost and I deeply apologize if I have not been up to par in catching up with any of you guys. I continue to care and wonder how all of you are doing and hope that I haven't lost all opportunity to catch up for lost time after my exams are done and over with in June.
I've joined a small group at my home church, TCCC. I love the people in my group and I love how the scope of our term together is a minimum of 1 year. It vastly contrasts the days of 4 month smallgroups back in university. Smallgroups continues to be a refreshing experience as I fellowship with other career-oriented individuals who are also striving to find God's purpose after university life. I miss Laurier life, I doubt blame anyone who will find any outlet or venture just to be near it again. I constantly have to remind myself that my life and time there is done. I will not forget the experiences, friendships, and memories formed there while moving forward.
Speaking of moving forward. Life after university also brings the startling conclusion that from this point onward the scope of the decisions that I have to make have grown infinately larger. No longer is my life dictated by 8 months of school and 4 months of summer employment - these restrictions no longer apply. With God's guidance I'm trying to make the best choices possible in terms of career, family, and church. On a humourous note I have to stop spending so much on toys ;) I know that there are alot more people who need that money than I do. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
Well, I think that wraps up the major areas of my life at the present. Life is really flying by a lot faster than people keep commenting about ...
posted by Clint at 8:53:00 PM
Prayer
The other night I was about to turn in for the night and was ready to say my prayer after asking several friends if they had any prayer requests. I closed my eyes and clasped my hands and called out to my heavenly Father ... and then I paused. Usually my prayer would be as follows: give Him praise and thanks, followed by the confession of events earlier from the day that I wasn't too proud of and then onward to the prayer requests of friends and family. However, this time was different ... I paused just after acknowledging Him by His name and was filled with a genuine curiosity that I have never felt before. And then it left me ... I asked God a question. It was a question that I have never once asked Him in all the 10 years of being a Christian. Before saying anything else after acknowledging Him by His name ... I asked him:
"How have you been ... ?"
And as I sat there in silence God answered my question. He told me that as my heart wept over a single injustice,
His heart wept a million times over at the millions of injustices committed all over the world. He also told me that as my heart rejoiced over one good deed committed by a member in the family of Christ,
His heart too rejoiced a million times over at the millions of righteous deeds that were committed within the family of Christ. Just as His heart feels rejected by the cursing of his name by millions of people around the world, He too
feels loved by the genuine praises of millions all around the world. I was saddened by hearing the cries of a God as He poured out his Heart to me and it was then that I realized the weight of the burden that He carried. I was suddenly reminded of the times when I was growing up when I witnessed the sorrows that my father tried to hide from me so that I wouldn't worry about him. And I would also remember how my father tried to reassure me that he would be okay. That night when God saw that I had seen a mere glimpse of His sorrow, he turned to me (like my father did when I was younger) and
smiled back at me. He then told me that there are many things that He was going through that I have yet to understand or will never understand but that everything was going to be okay. He appreciated my concern, but as a loving father He told me not to worry about Him but instead told me to sleep peacefully ...
For once in my life I asked God how
He was doing before telling him about how I was doing. I wanted to know what was in God's heart and how he was feeling. He knew that I had asked a different question this time. I wasn't asking what was in His heart in terms of what His plans were for me. I was asking what was in His heart because I simply wanted to know how He
as a friend was doing.
After having this quiet time with God, I was left in awe at how this simple question had brought me so much closer to Him. He suddenly became more real to me than ever before ...
posted by Clint at 8:01:00 PM
