Africa, Walden, an Orange Jumpsuit, and Max Lucado

What do these three things have in common? My husband.
Today he donned a bright orange jumpsuit to head out to his new job at a refinery. He was hilariously frustrated - animatedly talking about how you can't sneak around cause you're, in his words, "all orange".
Amid the comedy routine he said sincerely, "I'm better than this." I knew just what he meant. Not that he's too good to wear the orange jumper, or too good to work menial labor, but that he was created for better things. He had talents and gifts and yet for some reason he had no idea what to do with them.
Then today I was reading from "Cure for the Common Life" by Max Lucado. I don't usually like these "churchy" books - but I read an unschoolish quote that drew me in. This book is talking about exactly the point of struggle my husband is having. If God imprinted in each of us a destiny for greatness - a specific design - how do we tap into it? I am only on chapter 3 - so I'll let you know how that comes out.
Last night I was listening to Walden on Librivox and heard this quote that sums this up:

The finest qualities of our nature like the bloom on fruits can be preserved only by the most delicate handling; yet we do not treat ourselves or one another thus tenderly.

Somewhere along the way, life has beaten the spark for excellence out of this talented, creative, funny, intelligent man. Instead of pushing him deeper into the orange jumpsuit, I am going to be praying more that God would help him find a way to harness who he was made to be.
Oh yeah, and Africa. He got a call tonight about a possible job there. It might last 4-6 months. He is seriously considering it. I hope he won't have to wear the orange jumpsuit. Orange is definitely not his color!