<\/p>\n
\u201cA useless life is an early death\u201d (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe).<\/p>\n
WANTING TO BE USEFUL IS A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR NATURE. We may be easily distracted from that desire \u2014 and some folks seem to have suppressed the urge altogether \u2014 but still it\u2019s true, we want to feel that we\u2019re of significant use to somebody. Times of enforced idleness, such as periods of illness or disability, are rarely the seasons we remember as the happiest in our lives. \u201cIt is a great misfortune to be of use to nobody\u201d (Baltasar Graci\u00e1n).<\/p>\n
Regarding this \u201cmisfortune,\u201d however, there is something we need to be aware of: it is never actually the case that we\u2019re \u201cof use to nobody.\u201d We may feel<\/em> useless sometimes, but that feeling is never entirely consistent with reality. My father, for example, who just celebrated his ninetieth birthday, struggles with occasional feelings of uselessness. Physically, he\u2019s limited in what he can do, and it\u2019s often hard for him to see any real purpose for his continued presence in the world. Yet in truth, he continues to be helpful to others in ways he\u2019s not aware of. If nothing else, his example of steadfastness and good cheer is of great value to all who know him.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an obvious fact, of course, that our usefulness can be diminished by circumstances beyond our control, like old age or physical impairment. But usually, what is reduced is only our preferred and customary ways of being useful. What we need to do is let go of the past and have the humility to switch gears in our service to others. We need to adjust ourselves to new ways of being useful \u2014 ways that may be less congenial to us but are no less valuable to others.<\/p>\n There will be few days in this world when we can\u2019t do something that someone needs to have done. We can be helpful if that\u2019s what we want to be, and it\u2019s a marvelous thing to set that as our goal. An even greater goal, however, is to combine usefulness with grace. We can diminish the drabness in our world not only by doing what needs to be done but also by carrying it out in a way that delights and encourages those we serve. Pragmatism and practicality are commendable qualities in their own right, but they\u2019re nothing short of astonishing when they\u2019re clothed with the added quality of grace.<\/p>\n \u201cThe difference between utility and utility plus beauty is the difference between telephone wires and the spider\u2019s web\u201d (Edwin Way Teale).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n