rainy day success

Lest you think I'm only reporting the beautiful Washington days, I don't mind sharing that it rained most of the weekend. Rain may not be the correct term; drizzled probably fits the conditions a bit better. The precipitation sure makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and motivate to do anything!

However, tonight, just as the sun was beginning to set, the sun peaked through the clouds in a warm glow. The wet asphalt made for a nice reflection down the street.

The drizzle continued while the sky cleared for a colorful evening in the neighborhood. And, now, as I'm writing this, the last of the warm colors has dipped below the hills and I'm left with a gray-blue evening sky at 9:25p.

Rainy indoor days should promote healthy indoor activity; like thinking, right? I've been thinking a lot about success lately. I have to admit, the thoughts have come to my head in light of my 10 year class reunion this summer. I am looking forward to it with some trepidation regarding how we will all calculate each other's success.

Wikipedia posts this: "Success has been defined by Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as 'the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence."

I enjoy watching people find success in life. Every time I get exciting job news, or hear of some one's engagement I get giddy with excited for them and their new opportunities. I've seen my friends & siblings all graduate from colleges and universities, I have friends who have climbed into amazing sales and marketing careers, and others who have climbed to the top of humongous mountains. I've enjoyed seeing families grown by means of weddings and births, I have seen people win races, and create beautiful art in many forms.

But, I'm glad I was a shuttle driver in Antarctica, because I have a new and very different idea of what success is. Wikipedia goes on to say this on the topic: "True success in life, however, is not about what you have, but how you've lived."

I guess I used to have this image of success as an upward-one-way path in one's life or career; by one-way, I mean that it requires taking on more responsibility, or making more money, or buying a nicer car, a house, or starting a family. I'll label this "the worldly view of success;" trying to obtain a goal and escalate in society while doing so. While, I won't deny that this is one way some people can achieve success (and may be a pattern I follow all too soon), I found that doing something smaller and less mainstream can also be a way of finding success in life.

I went from working a solid job in the Chicago area to driving vehicles in Antarctica. While it's great to say I've been to a fairly uninhabited continent, visited by only a few, it certainly was not the career move or successful business-venture the world would hope I would take. But, it was the exact place I needed to be. It gave me more joy than I thought I would have in life as a grown-up.

This morning, at church, as if to reiterate my thoughts from the past month, we heard about success. We were challenged to think about what God's idea of success would be; if he had one. And, when we determined what some of those goals and hopes of God would be, we were challenged to make those objectives to success our own. So, I don't need to go chasing down the worldly view of success, or live a life that even I feel is successful for my selfish edification (although, that may happen along the way). I need to live my life so when it's over I can say I was used by God for the fulfillment of his purpose.

When I go to my class reunion, I look forward to seeing how people have achieved their version of a successful life; families, careers, leisure activities. After listening in church this morning, I'm also looking forward to seeing how God has been successful in their lives.