About a Boring Job by St. Nikolai Velimirovic

St Nikolai Velimirovich Source

You complain that you are tired of your job. All other activities
seem more interesting to you, and you, and you are troubled
and anguished about not being able to find something better.

I thought about this for a long time before picking up my pen
to answer you. I tried to put my self in your place, and to play
your part. I imagined myself at your worksite, in the locomotive
car, in the midst of the roar of the machine and the pounding of
the wheels.

Sweaty, covered in soot, I cheerfully looked ahead. Behind me
was arrayed an entire little people: old people, parents and
children, nobility, diplomats, officials, peasants, workers, and
day laborers. They had all been thrown together by
circumstance, and they all depended on me. Some talked among
themselves and some were lost in thought, but each was mentally
striving to get to his final destination. 

Whether he gets to that station depends on me, and I depend only
on God. The passengers could not even imagine how much they
depended on me. They were not thinking of me - they didn't even
know me. And that is precisely what made me happy. When the
train was ready to move, no one came to look at me, or to make
my acquaintance. No one asked, "Is our engineer crazy? Is he
intoxicated? Is he blind? After all, we have entrusted him with
our lives! He is the most important person in the galloping city
of which we have become residents for a time." 

Such thoughts did not even occur to them, and that made me
immeasurably happy. It makes me happy that so many people
without even a glance entrusted their lives to me, to me, a
stranger hidden in the heart of the locomotive. Trembling with joy,
I began to thank the Lord: - O great and wondrous God! Glory and
praise to Thee, for giving me life, and intellect, and such an
important job!

You gave me a task very much like Thy work, o God. After all, Thou
O Lord, hidden, invisible and unknown, operate the machine of the
world with Thine Holy Spirit. It is enormous, Thy passengers are
without number. Thou art the [locomotive] Engineer for the entire
world. Many, many travelers do not even think about Thee, do not
consider the Mystery of Thine existence, but with trust sit down in
Thy train and go, and go. And that most gladden Thee,
immeasurably gladden Thee. Thou knowest where to grant rest to
Thy passengers, where to feed them, and whom to discharge, and
where.

Frankly, they know little about the remarkable final destination
toward which Thy marvelous train is moving, but they trustingly
enter, trustingly travel, and trustingly alight. They put their trust
in Thee, to the hidden, invisible, unknowable! I thank Thee a
thousand times and bow before Thee, my All-seeing and All-
powerful Creator and Engineer. In all of the dangers threatening
this my journey, I place my hope in Thee alone. Only Thou canst
help me bring it to its final destination without losing any of my
passengers.

My young friend, what better job are you seeking? Is there any
other better than yours? The Apostle Peter was a fisherman, and
the Apostle Paul wove mats. Consider how much more important
and interesting your job is than theirs, and thank Providence Who
entrusted you with such an occupation.

Wishing you health, and may the blessings of the Lord be upon you!

Source