Affirmation

Over lunch today, a colleague asked, "now that Mrs A has retired, who do you report to in your work?"

My response:

If it is sustainability-related, I go to MH who seldom questions my decision or approach but would improve my submission or give his clearance as Director.

If it is SRP-related, I go to LK, who would always say ok.

If it is CREATE-centric, I go to FY, who would require me to fill him in with the background information.

For other things that I think are too minor to seek approval from Directors and above, I just handle it myself.

In any case, I am the one who chase the bosses to follow-up on this and that most of the time, so there is quite a large bit of autonomy in my work.

In a way, I'm given the opportunity to take my Director's role in decision-making. But on the other hand, there is no guidance, no one to bounce off ideas with so that I can learn. Yes, I can still learn from mistakes but how to make mistakes when I can simply ignore the tough ones and let it lapse ...

But I also hold onto the words that I have received through Steve:

Brian, the Lord says you are exactly where I want you to be. The Lord says, Brian, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. I don't know if it is forever but right now, right here at this time, the Lord says, good job. The Lord says, you are positioned in a place where I can work with you. You are positioned in a place where I can train you. You are positioned in a place where I can sharpen you.

I see you a leader of families, I don't quite know what that means. The Lord says you are a leader of families, that the way you live your life, you are going to show families what it means to live a godly life. That the glory of the Lord will be seen in you, the way you exist in your family, the way you treat your family, the way you lead your family. He says, don't discount those things, it's not just about the doing, it's about the being, it's about who you are, and how you love people.

And the Lord says that your life is gonna be a life of love. I don't know what you are like and I don't really know your character but ... I wonder if you are the loving kind of person, you just got love to give and you just got the gentleness to give. And the Lord says, I put that in you, that's how I see you. A bruised reed you will not break, you know that prophesy over Jesus, the Lord says, you are like Jesus. You've got this gentleness about you, you got this inner strength, you've got this love. And the Lord says, I put it there. I've put it there because you are going to be a lover of people, and you are going to lead other people into how to love their families.

So Lord we lift up your son, and Lord, will you carry him through this time. Would You teach him, Father that he hears Your voice at the workplace, in his rest time, in everywhere, in everything he does Lord, that You will just constantly whispering to him Lord, that he will just see things from Your perspective Lord, everything that he has to take on at work, everything he has to take on in ministry , in life that he will see things Your way Lord. Because You are love Lord, and You've got so much of it to give.

Thank you Lord.