Had a interesting conversation with my brother-in-law this week about weaknesses and strengths, and how easily we get them confused. Sometimes it's in the area of our strengths where we can get overconfident and make decisions based on wrong or selfish motives. Our weaknesses are sometimes easier to know and work around, than are our successes.
It brought to mind my favorite stanza of one of my favorite hymns, Be Thou My Vision. I've often tried to use this verse as a model for my thinking, but have seldom been able to do so:
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my Savior Thou art.
Thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my Savior Thou art.
As much as I try to hold wealth lightly (knowing it's a resource I'm only temporarily managing), and try not be flattered by the sweetness of people's kind affirmation of me, I still find myself making decisions to take a job that pays well, at a company where they really seem to want me. These allurements of wealth and praise are tenacious in their hold on me, though both are fleeting, as is this earthly life. Would that I could live this verse fully, and focus on the eternal...
Well, from the eternal to the mundane -
American business sort of grinds to a halt during this week between Christmas and New Year's. Only a skeleton crew is working at most companies, including the ones I'm waiting on. And all of you out there slaving away, you know who you are! So everyone, in honor of those few who actually are working this week, let's please observe a few days of silence on the job front, shall we?
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! Oh, and how do you spell Chanukkah?
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