I just found out that Steve Jobs, Apple CEO,  has passed away. When I saw this quote of his, I was reminded of a story….

Back in our church days it was easy to get caught up in filling the areas of service that had always been filled.

One year my husband filled the empty slot of “sound man.” No one else seemed to want to do it and we all thought it had to be filled. Even though the job did not suit him, he took it. He was then stuck doing it every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. He felt trapped.

One Wednesday evening he snapped. He was so tired of doing this thing he hated. I was home with a baby and two toddlers and he wanted to be with us. After the song service and before the sermon, he yelled from the sound booth, “I’m going home! This job is available!” He came home upset,  ashamed, and guilt-ridden.

He felt he had let down the pastor, his friends, and the entire church. What would the church do without a sound person?

I remember how I looked at my sad husband and the strangest words came out of my mouth without me even thinking them first: “Yes, you need to repent. You need to repent for filling a spot you were never suppose to fill in the first place.” His face lit up like I had given him a gift. He repented and forgave himself.

That night after church service was over, the pastor called: “After you left tonight a young man who just joined the church a few months ago came up to me and said since he’s been attending, he wished he could run the sound but he thought the spot was already filled.”

Fear and pride are strict and evil taskmasters but happiness leads us to the best “happy places”. Try the path of happiness; it’s the best choice for everyone.