Day 1250: The Ladder

"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."

I watched a worker as he climbed a ladder. At the first few rungs he bounded up, sometimes skipping rungs along the way.  In the middle of the ladder he began to slow down and he paid more attention to each footing and where he placed his hands.  As he got to the top of the ladder he was barely moving forward, hanging on with his eyes watching each move of his feet and hands to be sure that the grip and footing were precise. From where I was watching, it was hard to tell what it was that he was after but it was beyond the top of the ladder and he was going to need to go all the way to the top, ignoring the safety stickers he saw along the way.  As he went for that top step he had to do it all with balance as there wasn't anywhere for his hands to hold onto. He looked so alone there perched on the top step.  It was terrifying to watch and all better judgment of me and those around me told us that something bad was about to happen. And then it did.  He slipped and waving his arms wildly and shouting at the top of his lungs he fell.  Coming down the ladder he grabbed furiously at rungs, but he couldn't get hold and in a fraction of the time it took him to climb the ladder he was off of it, lying on the ground moaning, groaning, with tears in his eyes of humiliation, frustration and anger at himself and what had happened. It was awful to watch the fall. It had been exciting at first to see the ascent but even as a bystander it became anxiety filled as he worked his way through the rungs and it became clear that he wasn't going to stop, even when he was warned to do so.

Even now I wish he hadn't been so ambitious and taken that CEO job.

Let's face it, the world of work pushes, prods, entices and calls to us to climb the career ladders put in front of us.  God gave us the talents, skills and experience to do so, but He also in His Word gives us the balancing messages that we are not built or meant to be people who only focus on getting to the top of the ladder at all costs.  Some of us are being faced with those questions right now and we can't discern the signal from the noise and we can't understand the testing that comes within the intersection of our faith and our work. Our God is a good God. He provides promises and blessings to those who love Him and bring Him along with them in every aspect of their lives.  Today, ask Him to enter into the career ladder decisions that you face and do so knowing that the rewards are far greater in following His lead and cadence on the ladder than the message we receive from the world.

Reference: James 1:12 (New Living Translation)

day 405: Don't Forget From Where You Came

I find it interesting and sometimes a bit perplexing that companies work hard at making the culture one for all and all for one, but then turn around and run the organization in just the opposite fashion. These are the companies where the senior executives make crazy multiples higher in salary than the front line employee and the front line employee's salary and benefits, etc. are kept as low as possible against a market rate while management and senior management reward themselves more towards their perceived performance and potential in the company. Not all organizations are this way, but there is certainly a common philosophy thread within corporate America that lends itself to not being one for all and all for one, but more being one for a few and all for me. What is also fascinating is that we forget that we all came from the bottom. No one graduates from school or goes into their first job and starts at the top. Granted, not everyone starts in the mail room but we all started at the bottom rung of our profession and found our way further up the ladder over time. Whether or not we get to the top is not the point, what is important is that we ensure that lower rungs of the ladder are sturdy, reliable, secure and safe, if we want others to be able to climb the ladder in the future. In 1 John we are challenged to monitor and be cognizant of how we think about our success and others who are not there yet. It is an applicable word for those of us trying to work our purpose of bringing glory to God through our jobs; "But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help - how can God's love be in that person?" Today, we may be sitting in our chairs of success and not realizing that so many in our organization are struggling and what they need most is a mentor, a word of encouragement, an advocate or even just someone to listen. If you want to find them, you don't have to look far. Just look down the ladder a few rungs and they are there with one foot on the their current rung and the other foot one rung higher with both hands clasped on an even higher rungs, looking no where but up, ready to move if someone will help or invite them. God's love is helping. God's love can be seen through you today if just don't forget from where you came.

Reference: 1 John 3:17 (New Living Testament)