Our Flocks & Fields
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Over a decade ago, while enrolled as a mechanical engineering student at Brigham Young University, I was very fortunate to get in on the ground level of a tremendous research project. I was the assistant to a seasoned engineer. He directly reported to the Engineering Vice President of the company. We all worked closely together as a small team.
We enjoyed some early successes, and celebrated them often. But I distinctly remember one trying length of time where, despite our best efforts, we could not overcome a particular problem. Truth be told, I don't actually remember the exact issue, but I do remember something that happened as a result of our struggles. I remember it as clear as day, and I have reflected on it many times throughout my career.
The Vice President of the company entered the research lab where I was working with my boss. It was now just the three of us together. In a humble tone, and a manor of mentorship, the VP provided advice in a different way then he had ever done before. He knew we all shared the same religious conviction, so he must have taken courage that his message would be well received.
He quietly reminded us of a scripture passage that encourages prayer over our flocks and our fields, that we may prosper in them. The ancient audience of this particular message was likely farmers and shepherds, but the governing principle has little to do with crops or sheep.
The truth taught here … it is absolutely appropriate to pray over things we are involved in at work. In fact, it is not only appropriate, it is very much encouraged in this passage.
So what did we do? We verbally prayed together, right then and there. In reverence we closed our eyes, we folded our arms, and we bowed our heads. Three adults, in the middle of the day, in the middle of an engineering lab, in the middle of a professional struggle, prayed vocally. We followed the advice of those few verses and prayed over our modern-day flocks and fields.
The project itself is not the emphasis here, so I'll skip to the end and tell you we overcame the challenge. The award winning product we developed led (via an interesting detour) to a spin-off company that successfully manufactures and sells its product across the country.
I learned a couple valuable things from that one experience:
We enjoyed some early successes, and celebrated them often. But I distinctly remember one trying length of time where, despite our best efforts, we could not overcome a particular problem. Truth be told, I don't actually remember the exact issue, but I do remember something that happened as a result of our struggles. I remember it as clear as day, and I have reflected on it many times throughout my career.
The Vice President of the company entered the research lab where I was working with my boss. It was now just the three of us together. In a humble tone, and a manor of mentorship, the VP provided advice in a different way then he had ever done before. He knew we all shared the same religious conviction, so he must have taken courage that his message would be well received.
He quietly reminded us of a scripture passage that encourages prayer over our flocks and our fields, that we may prosper in them. The ancient audience of this particular message was likely farmers and shepherds, but the governing principle has little to do with crops or sheep.
The truth taught here … it is absolutely appropriate to pray over things we are involved in at work. In fact, it is not only appropriate, it is very much encouraged in this passage.
So what did we do? We verbally prayed together, right then and there. In reverence we closed our eyes, we folded our arms, and we bowed our heads. Three adults, in the middle of the day, in the middle of an engineering lab, in the middle of a professional struggle, prayed vocally. We followed the advice of those few verses and prayed over our modern-day flocks and fields.
The project itself is not the emphasis here, so I'll skip to the end and tell you we overcame the challenge. The award winning product we developed led (via an interesting detour) to a spin-off company that successfully manufactures and sells its product across the country.
I learned a couple valuable things from that one experience:
- These were the type of men I wanted to be associated with, professionally and personally. All three of us have moved on to different companies since then, but I have kept in close contact with both. The VP demonstrated great faith and courage that day. I want to be like him.
- We all have flocks (employees) and fields (projects) at work. If I want to prosper in them, then I need to pray over them continually.
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R. Dru Laws is Vice President of Seljan Company in Lake Mills Wisconsin, the Chair of the ARM (Association of Rotational Molding) Education Committee, a member of the ARM Board of Directors, and a global contributing editor to RotoWorld Magazine. Dru has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, and an MSc in Polymer Engineering from the Queens University of Belfast.
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