Some time ago, a speech circulated around the internet that moved me deeply.
It was an announcement from J. Roberson McQuilken, who was then president at Columbia International University. It was a retirement announcement, but not your typical one. Dr. McQuilken didn't necessarily want to step away - he needed to. He needed to, because his wife was suffering from dementia, and she needed him to be at home. So, he went home.
During the speech, he said it was an easy decision. After all, he reasoned, she had made his life possible for many years. Now, it was his turn to be there for her.
I remember weeping as I thought of this man walking away from a successful career to answer a higher call, the call of a faithful husband who wanted to keep his word until death did they part.
Perhaps a year later, I hear Dr. McQuilkin give an interview where he explained his decision. There was one point of this interview that left me almost speechless. The interviewer was perplexed. It should be harder, he thought, for this man to walk away from a successful presidency at the height of his influence. But for McQuilkin, it was not hard at all. As he explained why, he said, "You see, I always wanted to be cause driven and not career driven. Hence, the cause of taking care of my wife was just more important than a career."
I knew he was right. A cause will get you out of bed with enthusiasm, while a career can leave you going through the motions, devoid of the sense of excitement and passion that once drove you to make a difference.
I see it happen all the time. Wide-eyed teachers charge out the gate determined to make a difference in the lives of their students. And yet, a few short years later, the fire in their eyes has flamed out only to be replaced by the drudgery that comes when you are a cog in a machine.
At Christ's Legacy Academy, we are determined to help you find that fire again. Due to incredible growth and God-sized vision from Christ, we are looking to expand our team of passionate professional educators for the 2022-2023 school year. Come rediscover your calling and find your passion to teach. Great lives grow here, because great teachers teach here. Perhaps you can be one of them.