Feature -Special Days and Singing on the Mountain

By Timothy A. Edward

Yesterday, I was at the birthday party of one of my nephews, and as a family, we had a good time singing some old songs. One of those songs was, "Top of the world." In every family and in every organisation, we will have these special days, mountaintop experiences - and we need to capture those moments. It is a usual practice to recognise and celebrate milestones as people complete five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years and more in service. These are not just numbers; they are markers of faithfulness, growth, and impact.

Then and Now: A Shift in Vocational Culture

During our parents’ era, they joined an organisation and stayed with it until retirement. They served with loyalty and consistency. Nowadays, among young people, the trend is different. The way they look at employment and organisations are completely transformed. Job-hopping, freelancing, and entrepreneurial ventures are more common, and the idea of staying rooted in one place seems outdated to many.

Power of Staying Planted

But what are some of the benefits of working in one organisation for a good number of years - until you sense the next move or the next step in your heart?

A tree or a cash crop must be planted in one particular place if it is to bring forth fruit, yield, and support the eco and value systems during its intended life cycle. The same is true of our employment cycles. Depending on the seed - our calling, competencies, and talents - we must be planted in one place for a particular time until our mission in that organisation is complete.

Take, for instance, a watermelon plant. Its duration and harvest time are very limited. But compare that to a palmyrah tree - the tallest among palm trees. It takes years to grow and yields fruit for long seasons. From it, we get edible fruit, fresh juice, fermented drinks, syrup, and jaggery. Its leaves are used to thatch roofs and beautify village cottages. They also help erect boundary walls to safeguard property. Its planks build houses, its timber used for making furniture and utensils. Every part of the palmyrah tree is useful.

Do not Forget Your Calling

The secret is not to give up on your call, because at the right time, the door will open. Do not allow amnesia to dominate. It is so easy to forget all the good times, breakthroughs, and achievements we have had within a particular organisation - as individuals and as teams.

We must stand firm on our vision and continually remind ourselves of how we have been blessed throughout our career journey. View your circumstances through the eyes of faith. All of us have a calling upon our professional and vocational life, and we need to find ways to fulfill it and make the best of our current season. Enjoy your job where you are presently placed. The grass is always greener on the other side - but only until you get there.

Architects of Our Own Lives

In a sense, we are all architects of our own lives. To make the right career shifts and movements, we need wisdom. But how do we make this shift - from gathering intel about a particular thing to making the move wisely?

Sometimes, our faith and wisdom will look foolish - until it starts to rain, like in Noah’s time. Wisdom often does not look like wisdom until the results show up.

Wisdom in Action

Recently, one of my long-time friends called and asked for some legal advice about an employee. The first thing I asked was, “How would you describe this employee? Is the employee a fighting person or someone with whom you can talk and reason?”  Because wisdom is the absence of foolishness. It is pure, peaceable, and gentle.

Stay Rooted, Stay Wise

In life and work, we are called to be like the palmyrah tree - deeply rooted, fruitful, and useful in every season. Do not rush to uproot yourself. Let your calling mature. Let wisdom guide your steps. Celebrate your mountaintop moments, and never forget the journey that brought you there. Because, in the end, it is not just about where you work – it is about how you grow.