Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

Since arriving home last week I’ve begun the process of applying for work. This is not a process that I particularly enjoy. Mostly because I’m not so keen on the rejection aspect of not getting hired. Anyone who attempts to downplay my own perceived awesomeness is generally not someone I enjoy speaking with. When I get all worked up thinking that I would be awesome for a position only to find out that my “should be” employer has a different understanding of awesome, I get kinda bummed out.

Applying for work however, is a good opportunity to review one’s list of abilities and gifts. This is where I need to become more honest with myself and accept that I cannot do everything. There are some jobs that clearly I am not qualified for. For example there is a job posted looking for a herds person/milker. They’re looking for a person who, among other things, has “sufficient experience with large animals.”

I don’t think they’re referring to my sufficient experience eating large animals.

Even if the idea of milking cows at 5am remotely interested me, this job is not one I’m suited for. (Besides, I don’t like to get dirty, and I would probably get fired for playing “hey cow” all day while driving the tractor.)

My point is, there are things I can do, and things I can’t. I am a good teacher. I love opening up the Bible and helping people understand it. In most cases I do a very good job of that.

I’m also good at building things: especially when those things are tree forts or made out of Lego (Hey Lego Land, call me I’m available to build tree houses out of lego.)

Now, considering my role in the work force looks differently than considering my role as a member of Christ’s body.

As our time in New Zealand was wrapping up Sheena and I met some people who had an over the top gifting in hospitality. Most people in New Zealand seemed to be good at showing hospitality, but there were a few women we met who clearly excelled.

We were traveling to visit a friend studying at Capernwray who used to be in our youth group. As we were turning into the schools driveway a large truck had different plans for our vehicle, and rubbed us off the road ending the life of our car. (See Picture above.) Fortunately every person was okay. We were, however, stuck in the New Zealand countryside with no place to spend the night.

Then we met these ladies, who worked for the college, and proceeded to show us genuine hospitality. They invited us in for the night and made up the most beautiful room I’ve ever stayed in. By far it was the nicest place we stayed all trip. There were robes at the foot of our bed and hot tea waiting to soothe us. They even gave us the last bit of milk on campus for our tea. No one else at the school got milk the next day because it was all in our room. (A fact we were unaware of until later the next day.)

We felt so blessed.

Sheena and I drifted to sleep that night discussing what we would have done if we were in the position of these ladies. I’m certain I would have responded differently. I don’t have much of a gift of hospitality, but does that mean that I shouldn’t make an effort?

Do I have the right to make no effort to help because I’m a teacher and not a host?

When Jesus told of the days of judgment when the sheep would be separated from the goats He never said: “I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. But that’s okay because you have different gifting.”

I hear, from time to time, of people hiding behind their spiritual gifts - using their lack of a gift as an excuse for showing no effort in that area. For example they’ll say: “I don’t need to tell people about God because I don’t have the gift of evangelism.”

This is not why we have the Spirit of God within us.

While I may not apply for certain jobs because I don’t meet the qualifications, I do not have the right to stand idly by and watch people hurt.