Friends,
It's been quite some time since I have posted to the
blog. There were many days as I ran
toward my dream that I felt exhausted and discouraged. I felt like I had nothing valuable to say, so
I just stopped writing. It’s funny, I’ve
always known that it takes me just a little longer to accomplish my goals than
most people, but I still don’t wait well.
In April I accepted my
first full time teaching job for the upcoming school year. I am so excited but the summer plans that I
made in early spring have changed. This
means I have more free time than I expected.
I’m preparing for both major personal and professional stepping stones
which means down time is really a gift.
However, it inspired me to write about waiting.
In the process I have tried
my best to do two things: Pray and write words of gratitude. For me prayer can consist of reading devotions,
scripture, or just listening to my favorite contemporary Christian music. Several years ago, I was introduced to the
UrbanPromise ministry. The founder of
UrbanPromise, Dr. Bruce Main wrote a devotional titled: If Jesus Were a Senior: Last Minute preparations for Post college Life.
One of my favorite devotions tells the story of a driver’s interaction with
a tollbooth attendant while crossing the San Francisco- Oakland Bridge. In
short, the driver crossed the bridge several times and each time he encountered
this attendant he was always cheerful.
Sometimes, he even played music in his toll. For me the take away of the devotion is to
make the best of your circumstance. It’s an unforgettable story.
Today on my morning walk
all I could think was: Why can’t I just be like the man in the tollbooth?!
As soon as I got word that that I’d been given the
opportunity to teach I was eager to share with the community of family friends,
and mentors who have supported me along the way. The response of love and
genuine care is still a feeling that overwhelms me. Many acknowledged the accomplishment by
telling me that they are so proud of me! This phrase has taken on a profound new
meaning for me. Here’s how I determine
the difference between happy and proud.
It’s simple to be happy for someone. You give them a hug or a high five
when their goal is complete, but you weren’t part of the process. On the other hand,
when you’re proud of someone there’s a sense of commitment that you give to
helping them achieve their goal. You offer words of encouragement, constructive
advice, and comfort. You are there to listen when fear and failure take hold of
their heart. Furthermore, when fear and failure try to win you acknowledge that anger, sadness, or
discontent is just fear rather than true representation of inner strength. The ability to recognize inner strength means that you have built a relationship with someone. You have aimed to understand who they are and who they want to become. This is to say that being proud of others takes
true work!
Over the last month, I
have understood that on the days when I felt discouraged a core group of people
was always proud of my journey to teaching.
This is to say that those who are sincerely proud of you will always
recognize you as the man in the tollbooth who is truly trying to make the most of
life. It seems that waiting has taught me that pride
and pleasure do not necessarily mean perfection. True pride comes from an
intentional and continual process. Be proud of others on purpose!
