These days, there’s a lot of talk about finding your passion and doing what you love. And I think that’s important. We should take the time to identify the things in life worth pursuing and dedicating ourselves to.
But I don’t think finding joy in what you do is nearly as important as finding joy in how you do it.
This is something I learned from my grandma.
Growing up, my family attended church every Sunday. I remember, when I was young, hanging out primarily with my grandmother. Mostly, this was because she was working in the nursery… and I was bored in the service.
Every week, during the message, I would complain about needing the bathroom. After escaping to the hallway, I’d check the nursery hoping my grandma needed help. I would always find her there, sitting peacefully, usually rocking a baby to sleep. On a small black-and-white television, she would be watching the pastor deliver his sermon.
As I got older and I began to understand what was happening in the sanctuary, I grew to appreciate it. The words encouraged me and challenged me. Slowly, I began to spend fewer and fewer Sundays in the nursery with my grandma. And I began to spend more and more Sundays in the sanctuary with my grandpa.
He was, after all, the preacher on the stage.
But I’ll never forget the image of my grandma, rocking that baby, watching her husband on the small television in the nursery.
His sermons were being broadcast all over the country. Yet she just watched them faithfully, from right there in that small nursery, with a baby in her arms.
I’ve never met another woman so gifted at comforting and quieting a crying child—or relieving the nerves of an anxious mother.
My grandmother died on Christmas Eve, 2007.
Leading her Memorial Service was one of the greatest honors of my life. In preparation for it, I began to recall vividly those Sunday mornings sitting in that quiet nursery with my grandmother.
I can see now how she modeled love, humility, contentment, and joy in those moments. She never did receive recognition for her hard work. But she didn’t seem to mind. Because she faithfully served others in her quiet role, my grandfather was able to fulfill his.
We live in a world that exalts and honors those who clamor for attention. We praise and idolize those people who appear on magazine covers, climb the corporate ladder, or have ever-increasing numbers of Instagram followers. We place on a pedestal those who have acquired great wealth, fame, or power.
And many of us desire to achieve the same.
But there is an important truth for all of us that I shared the evening of my Grandmother’s service. It goes like this:
If you are content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.
We don’t always get to choose our life’s circumstances or the roles we are called to fulfill. Each of us are gifted in different ways and invited to pursue unique callings on our life.
Our greatest pursuit then, is to find humility, love, and contentment in the role we are best designed to fulfill—whether that role results in fame and fortune or not.
We find joy by focusing less on the “what we do” and more on the “how we do it.”
Serving quietly and humbly like my grandmother is no less important in this world than standing on a stage. And in that way, I may have learned just as much about life while sitting in the nursery as I ever learned sitting in the sanctuary.
Heidi says
March 31, 2016 at 1:10 PMBeautiful. Thank you ❤️.
Nancy says
March 31, 2016 at 3:14 PMVery well said ~ and what a tremendous opportunity you had to learn such an important life lesson.
N D says
March 31, 2016 at 6:41 PM“And I began to spend more and more Sundays in the sanctuary with my grandpa.
He was, after all, the preacher on the stage.”
Hahahaha! I had a great laugh reading that line. Grandmas are the best. Their faith is like no other and their humility and simplicity leaves a legacy for years to come.
Beautiful post.
God Bless
Rosanna says
March 31, 2016 at 8:43 PMWell said. It is so important to find joy in everything we do. Thanks for sharing.
Zina VB says
March 31, 2016 at 10:47 PMThank you so much for your posts…. This one about your grandma really resonates with me too….. I am an “Oma” to 21 grandchildren and am very blessed to be personally involved in all of their lives…. I am also a nursery attendant in our church and totally love on many of the little ones there!…. It warms my heart to know that God has me doing these things for Him and to Him I give the Glory!… I really love reading your posts! Thanks again!
Adeline Tan says
March 31, 2016 at 11:55 PMYour articles never fail to brighten up my day. Thank you for sharing and keep on going. Many people need the encouragement and they need to hear the message.
Aline Aragão says
April 1, 2016 at 6:38 AMGreat text and reflection, it shook my heart a bit.
I’ve been thinking about my job and this text just fit the time I’m living now.
And thinking more deeply about it, we must do “everything as if ti was to God and not for men” (that’s the literal translation from portuguese to english)…
Thank you for all great posts you do! :)
God bless you!
Jhancy says
April 1, 2016 at 6:50 AMVery true! Every task, always, has a two way to it.
So choosing the appropriate way to do something is so very important. Because on it depends not just a soul satisfying accomplishment but also the fact it definitely contributes a lot to the people around us.
Well written, all the best to your endeavours.
Jhancy.
Jill D says
April 1, 2016 at 7:50 AMThank you for this.
Carina says
April 1, 2016 at 10:43 AMReading this gave me goosebumps. Truth is powerful. Thanks for sharing this beautiful post, Joshua.
Corinne Koons says
April 1, 2016 at 12:25 PMAs I read your post I see my son in the nursery every sunday, he is almost 3 and still unconfortable to leave me, so I stay with the other lady and we take care of the small children. I do wish I could be at the service, but then I also appreciate the moment I spend there. My son always asks to go to church… probably because he sees this place as a fun time with mommy and other young kids. But after your text, I grow hopefull that he will soon appreciate the sunday school and then the service as I will discover it myself :) thank you for sharing!
Jacqueline says
April 1, 2016 at 12:52 PMSo beautiful, and just makes me think how complicated our lives are, your grandma well how very special she was and still is, still effecting lives today, this post an example, i thank God for someone in my church who made me feel loved and safe, she was special too, thanks for reminding me of more important things xxxxx
Janet says
April 1, 2016 at 4:07 PMThank you for those words of wisdom and encouragement!
Deb says
April 2, 2016 at 9:42 AMWonderful, thoughtful post. Thank you.
Shelley says
April 2, 2016 at 10:30 AMI went to Tuskegee, Alabama this past week and was struck by the words on George Washington Carver’s grave:
“A life that stood out as a gospel of self-forgetting service. He could have added fortune to fame but caring for neither he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.”
Thank you for sharing this. Now if I can only get the message past my brain and into my soul…
Dan Erickson says
April 3, 2016 at 5:09 PMI’ve always said we find contentment in the doing, not the end result.
Wendy says
April 6, 2016 at 3:57 AMGood word! Thanks for the encouragement. I’m on this journey, learning to be content in being who God designed me to be. Nothing more, nothing less and nothing else.
Blessings!
Sunny says
April 10, 2016 at 4:32 PMWhat a lovely post. I am committing your words to memory. “If you are content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.” Well said!
JJ says
April 12, 2016 at 12:57 PMThanks for the inspiration. Simple living is also being yourself, right where you are called.
Thea Dunlap says
May 3, 2016 at 6:34 PMThis is very beautiful. Thank you, I really need that today <3
Joanna says
August 22, 2016 at 11:01 PMWow!! This is beautiful. And really inspiring.
The Lord rewards faithfulness not the calling. And doesnt matter how little our calling looks like to others…we should do it faithfully…and the joy is not in the rewards or whatever…but in the “doing” itself. <3
Maryam says
December 4, 2016 at 3:45 AMBeautiful post . thanks for sharing
Emilia says
December 18, 2016 at 4:17 AMMade me cry. Thank you for sharing your stories and keeping me inspired☆
Kimberly says
December 19, 2016 at 6:53 AMTimely. Thank you.
Scott says
December 26, 2016 at 5:57 AMThank you for this wonderful personal tale with an important message.
krista O'Reilly-Davi-Digui says
December 31, 2016 at 6:49 PMReally beautiful. Reminds me of my parents (both gone way too young) who served and poured out faithfully. And quietly. I miss them and am so thankful for how they modelled love and acting out their faith.
GERALDINE CARTHEN says
January 1, 2017 at 3:44 AMThank you for your service.
Melia says
January 15, 2017 at 8:34 AMI just re-read this blog, Joshua, and was encouraged and strengthened by it all over again. Thank you for sharing the richness of your grandmother’s life.