“This breakfast is depressing,” I thought.
A number of my friends and I were recently talking. Most of them unemployed. They’ve been for many months. A few have been searching for more than a year.
The talk was about fruitless interviews, endless applications and useless job fairs. There is pain — and failure — in their eyes.
They’re all my age, stuck in the middle of life, feeling a little lost. Their career path is irrelevant in the modern economy. Their training is out of date. their experience worthless. They look at their hands that turned nuts and laid tile and built computer components and they wonder what’s next.
A change in the economy, a turn in legislation or a restructuring and it could be me, looking at my own hands.
Billy Coffey’s main character in Snowday reflects on his own mid-life.
“I’m just a man. Not too bright and not too stupid, not too rich and not too poor, not too happy and not too sad. A middle-of-the-road, ordinary man. That was me. Nice to meet you.”
A lot of us guys — and girls — can relate. We all had big dreams at some point in our life. We all wanted to change the world — find a cure, feed the hungry, start a successful business. But through a series of events, we are where we are.
How in the world did I get here?
Coffey says
“There are two things every decent person possessed in his or her life. One is a set of lofty goals that rise just out of reach and the other is a desire to do something good for the world.”
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| Photo by Lisa |
My life is pretty darn good right now, and the good news is that the best is still to come. God, give me goals and help me make a difference.
By His grace, these hands, this mind, this body can still be of use.
How about you? Comments here.
My mind is boggled by the change in our country over the past 50 years. Companies that were once considered "golden" are out of business. Trades and skills that were once considered untouchable are now obsolete. Oil is $100 a barrel. Home ownership is overrated and risky. In these times only One Thing is consistent and eternally true. Thanks for your Post, David.
Thanks for telling it like it is, David, and for the reminder that we always have hope. As you mentioned, it might look a lot different now than when we were 18 years-old, but God still offers us the chance to make a difference.
Great book, great outlook. Thanks, David!
The recession has hit Ireland hard and most folk are unemployed. But even though this is true for many in our fellowship, God has shown Himself faithful. It gives others cause to notice and wonder where the joy comes from. Christ is our hope. He always has been and always will be — in these times or in any times. Regardless of the world around us, He is constantly transforming us for His purposes as we surrender. Yes, I agree, "by His grace, these hands, this mind, this body can still be of use." Good post, David.By the way, I awarded you as a "Stylish Blog". You can read the post here Confessions and Friends