That is the title of a paperback I bought at the San Francisco International Airport before catching a flight. The title caught my eye and I could not resist getting a copy to read during my flight.
The author is Anthony DeStefano. He is well known for having written the best seller "A Travel Guide to Heaven". You can purchase a copy of the book at Doubleday (www.doubleday.com). The book has received excellent reviews by a number of leading religious authorities. In my view, it applies to all denominations, Christian, Jewish and Muslim.
You may wonder why this blog, and what it might have to do with either HR or OD. In our jaded society, it is easy to roll our eyes cynically. Trust me, it is no joke or a gimmick to think about our profession in a more elevated notion!
I do not know about you, but I have often shaken my head in frustration, asking myself the question: "Why does not God answer me when I cry out to him?". Why does not God solve my pressing problems? If God is supposedly all-powerful, all-loving God -- who made the sun, the moon, and the stars and He has the power to do absolutely anything He wants -- yet so many times He seems to ignore our prayers, or worse yet, flat out turn us down.
The truth of the matter is that God does say yes to a lot. But often He seems to reject our simplest requests. Why? God is not a supermarket clerk. The truth is that God follows some strict guidelines when considering our requests, and they are often difficult for us to understand. He surely does not say yes to requests that are not good for our spiritual welfare. Although He never stops us from making bad choices, He surely does not want to help us making them. God gives us what we need, not necessarily what we want. He is concerned about the ultimate good, not the intermediary want.
The book goes on to list the ten prayers that God always says yes to. They are:
1. God, show me that you exist. If we pay real attention to this, we surely see that God shows us that He exists every day, every hour, in many subtle and not so subtle ways.
2. Why should I get involved? God wants us to be an instrument for His work, to do what is right for us to do. He wants us to feed His sheep.
3. What's in it for me? God will always outdo us in generosity. He will always bless us with His many gifts. Serving others is the greatest call of all.
4. I can't take it anymore? God will always get us through our suffering. He will always comfort us in our sorrow. He is with us. He does not abandon us.
5. Am I a terrible person? God forgives us for our trangressions, for our sins, for our foibles. His love is infinite and His love comes with no conditions attached.
6. This stress is killing me! God gives us peace. He relieves us of our burdens. He makes our journey bearable. He takes away our worries.
7. Okay, I admit it: I am afraid. God gives us courage. He sheds light to darkness. He removes our fears and consoles our souls. We are not alone.
8. Sometimes being smart just is not enough. God gives us wisdom. He helps us harvest from our experiences the lessons learned. He gives us insights, He makes us perceptive. He gives us a second, third, fourth chance.
9. Will I ever be happy again? God brings out the good in all situations. He helps us rise from the valley to the mountain top. He showers us with joy.
10. Why am I here, anyway? God leads us to our destiny. He helps us fullfill our mission. He makes our journey meaningful and our labors worthwhile.
HR and OD work are about serving others, about doing the right things the right way, maybe not the first time, but in time. To do a good job, we need God's help and His guidance. He cares that we serve others properly, genuinely, caringly. He has high standards and He wants us to apply them.
I might not have done justice to the book, but I can assure you that it uplifted my spirit and gave me courage to continue my journey. I pray that He guides you and bless you too.
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