What can a janitor teach you that a professor may not?

Had an amazing spontaneous chat with a woman from Michoacan, Mexico tonight.  We met in passing on the 4th floor of the School of Business, as she and a colleague were dialogging in Spanish.  We chatted soccer, Mexico's battle with cartel violence, and even got some relational advice.  Haha.

Most notably, though, for me was her perspective on work.  I was really stunned and refreshed by her comment in response to my question, "Y este trabajo, como ves?" ["How do you like this job?", essentially].  Cualquier trabajo noble es honrable, or something similar was her response.  "Whatever noble job is honorable," roughly, was the translation I made out, after asking her to repeat the statement.  She elaborated, "Whatever isn't in robbery or crime...".

Wow.

Here I am splitting hairs over some, frankly, great opportunities before me, when, really, at the end of the day, what she shared is true.  Whatever job that is noble is honorable.  This is not the first time that I have learned a very valuable lesson from a Mexican friend, and it will no doubt not be the last.  Isalia mentioned another student who vowed that he'd make it rich and one day "remember her [and her colleagues]," and even offer them a job one day.  I would hope for the same, or much better...but whatever is honorable, most importantly.

"Let's get away" - A weekend off-campus

This weekend turned out to be an amazing one.

I had really been questioning hard the idea of taking time away from campus to connect with God along with 60 other high schoolers and about a dozen adult leaders.  Am I ever glad I went!  Arriving later than most at 10:30 on Friday night, I was instantly enchanted with the snow-covered landscapes and fireplace-laden, lofted lodge where everyone was gathered.  Frankly, I was about ready to head back to campus to focus on school work for the weekend but partly due to road conditions and partly due to how late it was, I decided to at least stay the night.

Saturday started amazingly as well.  We all awoke and shared breakfast.  Rolling, snow-covered, wooded hills surrounded the retreat center and was illuminated by the sun peeking through a mostly-cloudy sky.  It was the perfect setting for stillness, whereas so much of life is busy, busy, busy.  In sum, the silence and solitude, with times of worship, great fun together, reading of Psalm 51, small group discussion, meals, and an epic snow football game (with bruises and "charlie horses" to attest), this was an amazing time.  We drove back Sunday afternoon with the sun fully out.

I'll let the aforementioned Psalm speak for itself.  Suffice to say that it was very impacting for most all of us this weekend.  (For those not familiar with the context, the global leader of the time (circa 1000 B.C.) had just committed a gross scandal of adultery and, effectively, murder; picture President Clinton assassinating a would-be spouse of Monica Lewinski following his interactions with her.  Below we see David's response when becoming fully aware of his guilt.  Note the striking contrast to most anyone's response to exposure these days.  Amazing.)

Psalm 51

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba.

 ¹HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions.

    ²Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin!

    ³For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me.

    ⁴Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment.^(A)

    ⁵Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful].^(B)

    ⁶Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.

    ⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean [ceremonially]; wash me, and I shall [in reality] be whiter than snow.

    ⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

    ⁹Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities.

    ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.

    ¹¹Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

    ¹²Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.

    ¹³Then will I teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You.

    ¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness and death, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness (Your rightness and Your justice).

    ¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

    ¹⁶For You delight not in sacrifice, or else would I give it; You find no pleasure in burnt offering.^(C)

    ¹⁷My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.

    ¹⁸Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

    ¹⁹Then will You delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, justice, and right, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then bullocks will be offered upon Your altar.