Daily Devotional

Lessons Learned

by Patrice Verhines on March 06, 2021

"And all of us…are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of Glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit."   2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified)

My first job after high school was working in a travel agency.  I only held that position for a few months, since before graduation I’d applied for a federal government job, and that position came soon thereafter. 

I did learn a few valuable lessons while I was at the travel agency, brief though it was.  One was the value of properly holding the telephone between my ear and shoulder so both hands were free to look up flight schedules and search through travel brochures for the shopper on the other end of the line.  The ancient (to my eyes) proprietor, Mr. Mancini, delighted in giving me that 30 minute demonstration one morning while I sat trying to look awestruck at how this one little skill could make a huge difference in providing customer service.

A far more profound lesson I learned stemmed from the fact that, I didn’t enjoy that job…at all.  Not only was it boring to file brochures, answer phones all day and memorize abbreviations for airports around the world, but I quickly came to realize that I harbored jealousy of pretty much every customer I assisted in making travel arrangements to fun destinations around the globe.  I’d much rather have been on the other end of those working relationships!  I  wanted to go to Lausanne, Switzerland myself, not make reservations for a fancy hotel on the golf course for someone else.  I  wanted that trip to the islands of Hawaii or the Caribbean, to taste their local cuisines and feel the tropical breezes.  I  wanted to see Jerusalem with my own eyes, not just the photos on the glossy brochure I handed to a lucky modern-day pilgrim.  Don’t even get me started on Disney World and the romantic capitals of Europe!

Many years have gone by since that first job, and the Mancini Travel Bureau is long gone too.  I’m glad God showed me my bitter root of jealousy at the time, and that I learned a little something from it.  There would be other instances in later days when the green-eyed monster would show its face again, but each time, I believe it was easier to dismiss the jealousy and make a correction, having recognized it for what it was in my early years. 

God has a way of speaking truth to our hearts and leading us in the way of righteousness.  Through the Holy Spirit, He gives us new desires, changes our undesirable habit patterns, convicts of us sin and shows us a better way.  His way.  Gracious and giving God that He is, He also blessed me with many opportunities through the years to see the wonders of this world first hand.  But when I travel now, I see the faces and lives of people with sensitivity to the diversity of cultures, their socio-economic status, physical and spiritual needs.  I appreciate nature’s wonders in a way that includes worshiping the One who created them.  I can see the world through different eyes and with a more mature heart than I could as an 18-year-old who simply lusted for adventure along with bragging rights that I’d been somewhere exotic or different.  It’s good to be patient…sometimes God has a lot of work to do with us!

What work is God doing in you today?  Do you feel yourself being shaped by His loving touch?  What do you suppose He has next for you, and how will you work with Him to get you there?

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