The Why
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Do you ever wonder why you do what you do? We all have a lot of things to do each day. It’s easy to get bogged down in all the details, and somehow lose the “why.” I think it’s helpful to remember why you do the things you do… Here’s my story and the “why” I do the chaplaincy thing…
In May of 2003, I was working as a restaurant manager. It was steady employment, but I was not satisfied. One Sunday, I expressed this feeling to the church I was attending. I asked them to help me pray that I would find a fulfilling career.
That afternoon, I looked in the paper and saw that a hospice in Cartersville was looking for a Chaplain.
I prayed earnestly and felt peace about applying. I asked friends to pray as well.
The Lord answered my prayer and allowed me to minister there for 5 years.
Around 2009, a friend of my wife’s noticed that there was an ad in the paper for United Hospice. (UH later became Pruitt Health Hospice.) They were looking for a Chaplain. I prayed about it and applied. The Lord answered that prayer, and by the grace of God, I’m still here.
The best part of what I do is not the “knowledge “ I impart to patients and families. Instead, it’s what they share with me. Hearing their stories. Getting to know these precious folks.
My “why” is the feeling of satisfaction I get from being there and providing comfort to patients with life-limiting illness and their loved ones.
What’s your story? Why do you do what you do? Take some time to get back to the core, the “why” of what you do.
Then, take Solomon’s words to heart and “do it with all your might.”
