Yesterday, I was thinking about the fact that not all of the kids in my Sunday school class could give even a basic idea of what they might want to do when they grew up. I talked with Sherry about this at home last night. She pointed out that we didn't necessarily have much of an idea of what we wanted to do at that age. I agreed, although I remember kids at least giving a set of answers like "doctor, police officer, fireman" or any of a number of other "typical" professions when we were kids. Sherry also pointed out that many kids really don't know what their kids do. Some kids might even have a difficult time talking about where their parents work. While I have a hard time understanding that, I know that Sherry is right. Even for me--I could tell where my dad worked, but it would have been a challenge to tell what he did at some points in his career--other than that I knew it had to do with working with veterans and helping them. My mom's jobs were easier to describe--bank teller, bookkeeper, teacher.
I also got some feedback from a friend I know through running who teaches high school students. She, like Sherry, pointed out that we really didn't have a good idea of what we wanted to be. She reminded me of the rate of people changing majors. Even in my own experience I originally thought I wanted to be a doctor, then I decided to major in chemistry when I went to college, then I switched to health policy and administration. Then economics. Then the years in a school of public health as a successful faculty member followed by the move to a business school in an administrative position.
The even more interesting thing my friend pointed out was that so many people who have the opportunity to teach children have a tendency to say that it is someone else's responsibility to teach specific things. So, whose responsibility is it to teach the kids about career choices? A sunday school teacher's? Maybe in some ways. In a Sunday school setting, it can be structured as a discussion of a vocation or a calling. It can also be structured as a discussion about the things mentioned in Matthew 25:34-36 (the hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, strangers, and prisoners). How do we move through our lives trying to help those in these six groups or those with other needs? How do we grow from being needy to helping the need in little ways, to making it part of our identity. How does our faith guide us in this? And what example can I set?
It is interesting to me to think about how I have helped groups with these six types of needs and how I can continue to do so.
Today, I pondered while running just 4 easy miles. That puts me at 76 miles total. Still on PA 16. Now between the Calvary Bible Church and the Church of God between Greencastle and Mercersberg. And even more interesting, I have finally gotten something back from the archivist in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I'll talk about that later.
I also got some feedback from a friend I know through running who teaches high school students. She, like Sherry, pointed out that we really didn't have a good idea of what we wanted to be. She reminded me of the rate of people changing majors. Even in my own experience I originally thought I wanted to be a doctor, then I decided to major in chemistry when I went to college, then I switched to health policy and administration. Then economics. Then the years in a school of public health as a successful faculty member followed by the move to a business school in an administrative position.
The even more interesting thing my friend pointed out was that so many people who have the opportunity to teach children have a tendency to say that it is someone else's responsibility to teach specific things. So, whose responsibility is it to teach the kids about career choices? A sunday school teacher's? Maybe in some ways. In a Sunday school setting, it can be structured as a discussion of a vocation or a calling. It can also be structured as a discussion about the things mentioned in Matthew 25:34-36 (the hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, strangers, and prisoners). How do we move through our lives trying to help those in these six groups or those with other needs? How do we grow from being needy to helping the need in little ways, to making it part of our identity. How does our faith guide us in this? And what example can I set?
It is interesting to me to think about how I have helped groups with these six types of needs and how I can continue to do so.
Today, I pondered while running just 4 easy miles. That puts me at 76 miles total. Still on PA 16. Now between the Calvary Bible Church and the Church of God between Greencastle and Mercersberg. And even more interesting, I have finally gotten something back from the archivist in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I'll talk about that later.
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