I have a friend who used to be a children's minister before she finished her teaching degree. She and her husband had dinner with another couple (both couples were eventually in the small group I lead), and they began to talk about work. My friend's female counterpart was an upwardly-mobile accountant that liked to work for FORTUNE 5oo companies.
During their dinner conversation, I was told the accountant asked the children's minister, "Well...WHAT is it that you DOO all day." My friend fumbled to share a laundry list of small things she did to reach out to children, facilitate our church programs, and do ministry. She came to me, angry at the woman for being condescending, and angry at herself for not having a succict answer.
As she told me this I nodded and smiled. "I know what you should say," I said.
"What?" She replied.
"Say you are spending your life working to change our world by shaping children's spirits and values forever," I said, "Then ask very politely, now what is it YOU do?"
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4 comments:
If you feel you need to justify what you do, then maybe it's not for you? I think your answer was great! :)
PS thanks for your kind comment :D
I get that question a lot too. Thankfully, I don't normally care what others think of me, so it doesn't bother me that they think my job is less important than theirs. I know what I do is important, making a difference, and makes me happy! That's what counts!
Apparently the accountant spends all day making rich people richer. Yeah...
I love your new friend, anonymous. Glad they could join the conversation.
It's a hard question. Perhaps the accountant really didn't understand? Perhaps not and she really was condescending. Sigh. Why are we like that?
I pray that I am less like the accoutant more each day and more like the answer that you offered your friend. Well done.
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