Had tutorial on sociology earlier today.The topic was work and teacher (i dont know his name although he has taken my class for a number of tutorials during the past 2 years and i like the way he teaches. Anyway, i've always had this difficulty in remembering names. I get a lil' nervous when i bump into old friends from pri/sec sch. Especially when they go "HI SHEELA!" whereas i'll just say "oh..HELLO!" while desperately trying to recall their names in my mind. And i will take like 15-30mins, once, even a day,until i remember =( im better with recognizing faces though) started it with talking about whether we know we will enjoy our jobs, leaving work feeling satisfied & asking us to share to the class what our dream jobs were.
Well, in case you all want to know, recently i've been thinking of working in an orphanage but that is after some years in nursing specializing in paediatrics. Either that or a teacher, teaching nursing of course.
So the class went on and he mentioned that while having dream jobs is good, we got to think if we are cut out for it too based on our gifts and talents (eg. wanting to be a tour guide but not enjoying people's company, a policewoman without meeting the height requirement), and last of all if what we will do, will make a significance. Will we impact people with what we do. This struck me the most during the lesson. Impacting people. He then shared this real story of an ordinary cab driver in US.
(Can't type it out word for word, the lesson was at 8am) The driver was about to end his night shift when he got a call to pick up a passenger, so he went to the place to pick the passenger up and came to a building that that was only lit on the first floor. The driver wrote that under such circumstances - some areas could be dangerous especially in the wee hours of morning- they will usually horn a few times and if still no one comes to take the cab, they will drive off. But this time he decided to get out of the cab and walked to the door. He rang the bell and old, frail lady with a suitcase opened the door after sometime. He helped her into the taxi and the lady told him the address and asked to go by the downtown route. He told her that it'll take much longer and she replied saying that she wasn't in a rush as no one will be waiting for her and that she was going to a hospice as she's all alone. So off they went and tru out the journey, the lady showed him and they stopped at places which held deep memories to her, places where she first met her husband, places where they dated, where she as a young lady laughed, grew up in. The driver also wrote moments when he would wait for her as she would stare at buildings like as though she's lost in memory. The journey took a much longer time and they reached the hospice only at dawn. That was when he knew that the lady was walking into her last phase of life, a place where she will past eventually. She sat on a wheelchair, thanked the driver and asked him how much the ride was. He was himself shocked that instead of telling the price, he reached out and hugged her and told her that she didn't need to pay. After he left he thought to himself, what if he didn't answered the call to pick her up, if he had been impatient and did the normal, horn a few times and drive off, what if a grumpy driver who was rushing to end his shift picked her up instead. This lonely woman would have been deprived in a way, without seeing the places which she dearly loves, for the last time.
This cab driver, ordinary as he and his job was, impacted a life of someone who, sadly, in our society today (general) deems as insignificant. He could have insisted to go by the shorter route instead to end his shift quickly. He must have been tired as it was towards the end of his shift, surely he wanted to get home to rest fast. Yet he was willing to patiently drive, wait, listen. He had definitely brought a smile to her face. At the same time, he took the extra mile, a taxi driver doesnt need to listen, to stop the car, and wait as we reminisce our past, they just pick us up, send us to our destination and wait for us to pay.
I guess, in everyline of work, or maybe not even work, but in whatever we do, we could make an impact on a life. It is achievable. It could be simple things like giving up a seat to an elderly or a pregnant woman in the MRT, that will light up their day. By doing that, we have already impacted someone's life. A business person could give some of their earnings to charity work. That's impacting lives. At the same time hold on to this verse in the bible (don't know which one, got to look for it) that says "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you" Its a well known sentence too. I tell myself next time when im pregnant and walk into the MRT (*Lord, please bless me with a husband who has a car* =p), i will greatly appreciate someone who'll give up his/her seat for me, that's why i give up my seats. Not boasting, but i'm holding on to that verse and i know i'll help to relieve her ache in the legs from that weight thats she needs to carry everyday. Same goes for the elderly.
sidetrack a little - oh, there was this time when i was on my way to sch, so took the train and sat beside this guy who looked to be in his late 20s. Then the next stop an elderly woman came in, didn't see her at first, she was standing a lil far. I knew the guy saw her too. so you know, as a girl, i'll expect that in such conditions the MALE should offer his seat first, his supposed to be the genlteman, ladies were not termed as gentlewomen. Though that doesn't mean we should not be okay. And he was not, i repeat, WAS NOT sleeping. so without standing i look at the grandma, and turned to look at the guy, saw him looking at her too before turning to look at me. .. and,oh this is classic.. we looked at each other for a few seconds and he CLOSED his eyes!!!!!! He actually pretended to SLEEP! so fed up,straightaway stood and motioned to the grandma to sit. Huh. He was sitting down much longer than me la. Still could look at me later on la, cos we were stopping at the same stop. Gosh. how ungentlemanly this guys can get.
So anyway, yup.. i would want my life to in a way, impact others, bless them, not so that they can remember/look up to me/sing me praises, its not about me. I now find that i have a heart for the orphans, that is why i want to work there, and nursing skills is handy. Im still not sure what to do.. will see and pray about it, but in the end, i want to go where He sends me too.
And i also pray that we will want to make someone's day, wanting to have a significance by impacting. Im no angel, i do think about myself and my own needs too, but imagine how life will be so much better if we stop thinking about ourselves entirely and start thinking about others.
"I will go where You send me
Jesus take me now, I am Yours
I am Yours
Lay my life on the altar,
everything i give to You alone
Here i am, here i am..
Here i am, send me"
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