Deacon Bill Reid, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church
Deacon Bill spent 31 years working at Eli Lilly. As retirement approached, he began to consider his next chapter. His sister mentioned that she thought he’d make a great deacon, and he admitted that he didn’t know exactly what a deacon’s role was. As he learned about the diaconate, he began to think that it could be a great fit for him. At first, he told me, he thought that becoming a deacon might be as simple as receiving a blessing from a priest. However, the actual path required seven years of schooling.
Bill Reid officially became Deacon Bill Reid in 2008. He likes to say that he’s not “retired” he’s “rewired.” Well put. His enthusiasm for his role in the church was immediately evident when my wife and I had first attended his baptism class in 2009. As a deacon, he performs baptisms, and he has baptized two of our children. I had hoped to photograph him at a baptism, as that’s one of his favorite roles in the church, but alas, he was not scheduled for one in April. I opted to take the photos at Vespers (evening prayers), which I think made for a great second choice. Deacon Bill enjoys the rituals of the Catholic Church and I think these images capture that.
The following set of six questions will be answered by each of the subjects.
1) Some people call it a “true calling” or their “life’s work.” In the book The Alchemist, author Paulo Coelho calls it your Personal Legend. What do you consider to be your true calling, or Personal Legend?
Following God’s call is challenging, difficult, and highly rewarding. My true calling is to be a visible sign of God’s love to everyone – not just members of my family, not just members of my parish, not just to people whom I like – but to everyone I come in contact with.
2) When did you first realize that this was your calling?
I think I’ve known this is my calling for my whole adult life, but it became very clear to me when I considered retirement from the business world, and wondered what I would do next. One of my early bosses gave me good advice when I was quite young, right out of college; he said “You have to retire to, you can’t just retire from. That way you’ll have something that will engage you for the rest of your life, and you won’t just waste away doing nothing.” I remembered that advice and followed it when I considered retirement.
My sister was the first to suggest that I consider becoming a Deacon, and that thought kept coming back to me over and over again as I prayed and discussed the idea with my wife.
3) People often become completely engrossed, losing track of time or outside concerns while performing tasks related to their calling. This might be referred to as being “in the zone” or “flow.” When do you experience this most often?
I lose track of time when I am engaged in a serious conversation with someone who is struggling, either with their faith, or with an important life situation they find themselves in. In those times of personal crisis, I look for opportunities to help them live through the crisis, and for me time just stands completely still.
4) What is the greatest challenge or obstacle you’ve faced in pursuit of your life’s work?
The hardest thing to manage or control is time! Every one of us gets the same amount of time every day, no matter what our occupation. Throughout the day I’m asked to spend time with my family, and with church-related activities. As a husband and father and grandfather along with being a deacon, there just aren’t enough minutes in the day to satisfy everyone. Balancing all these priorities is a real challenge!
5) What has pursuing your Personal Legend taught you?
It has taught me that I have been blessed in many ways throughout my life, in my successes and in my failures. I’ve learned more from my mistakes than from my successes. I continue to seek God every day, and I find Him in the most amazing places.
6) What piece of advice can you offer to others seeking their true calling?
Even though it sounds cheesy, you need to follow your heart! Deep within you lurks your true calling, even if you are not pursuing it at the present time. If you take time to pray quietly, to seek and follow the advice of good friends, and to be honest with yourself about your skills and abilities, you may be lucky enough to discover what your true calling is. It can take most of a lifetime to find it. Once you’ve found it, follow it!
Are you following your Personal Legend? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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