A good friend of mine was telling me about a conference he'd just attended.
It was an 'energy conference'... which is a meeting of a bunch of experts discussing how to get raw material from the earth and convert it into energy -- in efficient, safe, and cost-effective ways.
My friend was fascinated by the way this gathering of engineers, hydrologists, oil and gas experts, etc... was collaborating to solve real world problems affecting millions of people.
And he noted how the experience presented quite a different picture of life than what you usually get from the day's news... with its typical focus on what's going wrong in the world...
... because this meeting was all about people working together and using their gifts... to creatively and constructively make world a better place.
The neat thing about what my friend observed is that it's all according to God's design... as found in the creation mandate to rule and subdue the earth (Gen.1:28).
Of course, most people don't make this connection to their work... or a conference they might attend...
... which is unfortunate, because one of the most satisfying gifts God gives us is to see how the work He gives us is from Him.
"There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also is from the hand of God" (Ecc.2:24).