Stuck in a Cubicle? This Beautiful Advice Shows You Can Still Change the World

The well-known Orthodox priest Fr. Josiah Trenham made waves on social media recently with a powerful message about what it means to live out one's Christian faith in a broken world. Fr. Trenham is a father of 10 and the founder of Patristic Nectar, an outlet that aims to "bring the wealth of Sacred Tradition to a generation attuned to listening rather than reading." 

Every person has a portion of the world given to them by Christ

to make beautiful.

For some, that portion might only be a cubicle, but that's the cubicle where Jesus' name must be glorified. And if you do that, you can change your world.

If people know that when they go by that cubicle, there's a person there who loves them, who will stop what he's doing to listen to them, and who will pray for them, the world around that cubicle can be radically changed. 

So, this is what I want my sons to do: I want them to be human beings ... to be a human being means to live with God in everything. That's what human beings were created to do.

Looking back, looking forward

I wish I had heard Fr. Trenham's advice years ago when I worked in a cubicle. Back then, life often felt void of meaning. I'd like to think his wisdom would have inspired me to make my cubicle a warm, welcoming place with some cool artwork on the walls, perhaps a scented candle or two ... maybe even a cozy chair in the corner. 

But most importantly, this ideal cubicle would have had me in it -- fully present with a prayerful attitude, working hard, and welcoming my coworkers with a smile (and even a hug when appropriate). 

Sadly, I look back on my years in a cubicle as a time when I wasn't in tune with all the beauty that was available to me. I shirked work and complained about my boss and coworkers. I also gossipped. A lot.

I look back on those years as a sad, wasted time when changing my ways and following Fr. Trenham's advice would not only have had a positive impact on those around me, it would have made me happier and more fulfilled too. 

Fortunately, Fr. Trenham's message doesn't apply merely to cubicles in an office building. I can make the portion of the world God has given me, whether it be my home, social media page or this tiny corner of a park bench where I'm sitting and typing on my laptop ... I can make my small portion of the world the most welcoming, beautiful place it can be if I rely on God's grace to, as Fr. Trenham says, "be human; to live fully with God in everything, as human beings were created to do."