For the past 7
or so months I had been undergoing my internship, starting late September until
late April. It is a mandatory requirement of my university to be attached to a
company that their students will gain actual working experience in the
industry. Since my internship is in the Quality Management Department, I thought I would share
my experiences there in relation to my faith. As they say, we should all live
our faith in our respective vocation in this world.
Being in a
Quality Management Department has taught me several important elements in this
field. First of course is Quality, which is the degree in which the product/activity fulfils its
requirements/purposes. A product is of quality when it performs as it is
intended for. An example for Quality consideration of a product is a car. We
measure it by its effectiveness in getting us from one place to another, by considering
several aspects such as its power, safety, efficiency, comfort and durability.
If the manufacturer can achieve all of its set standards for all these aspects,
then the product is of quality.
More suitable
for this post is to consider Quality in relation to an activity. For instance, when
I study a particular theory, I set my goal to finish reading, memorising,
understanding and applying that theory in various situations. If I can
accomplish all these, the time spent is of high Quality.
When I perform
an activity, I should not look at the amount of time spent on the task more so
than the amount of time I concentrate on the task. Much can be accomplished in
shorter period if done properly; much can be covered even if I overshoot my
time.
This exposition
I find similarly linked with my prayer and devotion time. It is not so much the
time spent in front of the Bible or the words uttered idly with fingers folded,
than the time spent in being with God through the Bible and earnestly
communicating with Him. I may have mentioned this before: the time allotted is
to help me build that discipline and concentration to set aside a portion of my
(hectic) day exclusively for spiritual growth, but it is not an end to itself.
Instead the true yardstick should be His message He has for me. Thus when I commit to spend quality time with
and for God, it should be based on whether I grasp the
message He intends for me to receive, however much time I set aside.
In order to achieve the Quality benchmark set,
Quality Assurance (QA) is an essential factor for consideration. QA is a
set of activities carried out in order to demonstrate
the product/activity meets its intended Quality requirements. From this
definition, one may deduce that QA is carried out throughout the entire line of
the process.
During my spiritual exercises, there are several factors which I should
bear in mind. These include the factors influencing my concentration (eg: did I stay up late last night?), activity(s)
planned for the session (eg: full-prayer, Theology/Philosophy, readings
contemplation from the Bible), guidance available (eg: related books/references, internet
connection), gathering my thoughts and prayer before starting an
activity; even my present lifestyle affects my prayer/devotion (eg: had I been so caught up in gaming that I cannot think of
anything else for the past few weeks?). These are some of the aspects that
influence how receptive I am to God’s message.
Even with all the appropriate QA in place, I still need a way to measure
what I am doing. That is where Quality Control
(QC) comes in. QC is the techniques used to ensure all
Quality requirements specified are met. QC is mainly concentrated at the
end of the process, line or activity.
In manufacturing and construction, QC comprises of all the tests and
inspections carried out to ensure the product meets the requirements. Similarly
during my prayer/devotion, there are certain practices I should have in place
in order to evaluate the session and where was I lacking. In this context, I could
reflect on the day’s activity(s), my objectives during that session and what God in His grace revealed to me through the
Holy Spirit.
Here can be a tricky part though. Sometimes we may not meet all our
objectives; heck we may not even meet a single objective we initially
established. Sometimes God may reveal something entirely different, but no less
important and fruitful in our lives. Although the steps mentioned are somewhat
a guide for myself, faith building is a very dynamic process, and at times God
takes me from the path of my design and points to another road through the forest.
As it was with this one time when I decided to forego the Bible study and
replace the session with the Rosary; I believe it was something the Lord called
me to during that particular period. This goes back to the third point I
mentioned in the paragraph just before: what God in His
grace revealed to me through the Holy Spirit. To echo what Christ said,
“not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The trick is to have a relatively
defined target, while at the same time not allow myself to be rigidly limited
to what I set, to allow God to lead me where He wills.
Finally, to ensure the product/activity is of Quality, with the
establishment of effective QA QC, is implemented through Quality Management. During my training in the
department, the main priority is to follow the requirements, written and
documented as stated in the contract. Quality Management also has an added
benefit of reducing process downtime as well as overall costs.
When God established His Church, He gave the Apostles authority to lay
its foundation, with Christ as its cornerstone (Ephesians
2:20). Scriptures, Gospels (passed down through oral tradition and later
recorded) and apostolic letters were written and later compiled into a single
book. It is in this book, the Bible, that the relationship of God and man are
contained, as well as His Laws and Commandments. This is similar to
professionals congregating together and developing the ISO standard for
organisations to follow. And just like any standard, the majority of lay people
will not understand nor have the time to study thoroughly into every single
topic and subject. Thus we rely on teachers who, inspired by the Spirit help us
unravel the mysteries of the Bible. This should not be undertaken alone, as
stated in 2 Peter 1:20, lest we stray from the
Church’s, and ultimately, God’s teaching. Such will only result in us
distancing ourselves from Him. Just as if we misinterpret a standard and put
into motion the activity that was misinterpreted, we will not be following the
standard; consequently whatever activity/product under the said standard will
be rejected. The benefits, similar to Quality Management, result in reduced the
time spent searching the answers in my life, as God has provided a family and a
solid foundation to support me in life’s journey. Thus it can be said then,
that the entire purpose of God for mankind is revealed
through the Spirit and the Church, which functions as God’s governing
body on Earth.
During my Quality internship experience, much work followed the
standards/guides that were already established. Even, so, not all cases were
objective and can be solved by the book. For instance, different audits were
planned and customised by the auditor(s) to cater to the intended environment
and organisation. Questions/checklists were prepared, yet all the while tying
back to the relevant criteria/standards.
Similarly in our spiritual life, the Bible itself as a whole cannot be
interpreted literally, nor does it contain direct answers to all our questions.
Jesus Himself spoke in parables when speaking to the crowds. Even after the Church laid the foundations, interpretations and teachings, many
aspects in life are still subject to one’s discretion. However, our actions should be guided and grounded in the Church and her values.
In times where we hit a dead end or grey area, it is always prudent to fall
back to our Church and her teachers for guidance.
There were many
opportunities and challenges to live and uphold my faith during this period of
industrial training. Even as I gained much exposure in the field of Quality,
Construction and Civil works, it was also a time where my faith was tested, be
it through unexpected, yet fruitful discussions (see post dated 26 January 2014); or making
the sign of the Cross during lunch amongst my colleagues and people from
external parties. But most importantly, I believe, is to give it my all in performing my tasks and responsibilities
with integrity, and to lift them all up as a prayer, holding fast to the values
taught by God through the Church.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
(Colossians 3:17)
RFG always.
PS: I feel the
style of my posts is somewhat changing compared to my early writings. Don’t
know if it’s a good thing, bad thing or nothing. XP
