Today I knew was going to be rough, right from the start. I got up, got the kids to band, came home and sunk to my knees. I've been reading a book lately that has been such a good read, and so eye opening. It's called, "Ordering Your Private World", by Gordon Macdonald. His main point is that so many people get burnt out because they are not taking the quiet time they need to order their private world. As I was on my knees I was reminded of the words in his book that basically say, "if I am not taking the time I need to in my private world, my public world will crash down, I will get burnt out!" and that's what I was feeling. I felt as if I had 15 thousand things to do and I was the only one to do them and they all had to be done TODAY! In reality I only had a few things that all seemed to be happening at once and something had to give.
My prayer was a simple one: Lord, I need you this day to take over. I cannot do this. And honestly, going to the sunrise shift would make things so much easier!" Before I delve into my woes, I'll back up. I realized over the holidays that I LOVED the sunrise shift and I wanted to go back. I loved having work done by 9 am and have my whole day ahead of me for whatever may come up (kids, life, school, whatever!). I also realized that my own schooling seemed to go so much better when I was on that shift. So about two weeks ago I put in for a transfer back to that shift and two days ago my son started praying me back into that shift! (Oh the power of a child's prayer!) Here was the list of the 'to-do today': Band (7:30 am), come and study (if I had time), be back at the school for my daughter's class (they had something going on that she had requested I come to and I knew that it would make her feel special if I came), go to work, come home, take kids to piano, and then sleep. I was doing so good until the work part came.
I got to work and then got a text that a family member was in the hospital. I said a quick prayer, sent out prayer requests and then learned that the only other girl in my area called in...which meant that someone else would be doing her job and not his own, which in turn can make it hard for me. My attitude went downhill fast. I would stop every so often and say a quick prayer, realizing that I was being a brat, that my flesh was totally trying to win out! But it wasn't until I sent out an update on my family member and asked my prayer partners to pray for myself that things really started changing. Within minutes break was called at work and I was able to sit and cry out to the Lord (Yes, it is OK to cry at UPS, I've done it!) all but begging for His help! I also got reassuring texts from prayer partners that they were praying for me as well. I was also reminded that "the joy of the Lord is my strength" (Neh. 8:10, my version ;) ).
Ten minutes later break is over and I'm in another trailer loading it up. (For those who do not know, I load the freighter trailers at UPS. And not just one in a day, sometimes I'm in up to five throughout my day) A few minutes after being in there the manager of the whole building steps in with someone else. "Alicia, do you still want to go back to sunrise?" he asks. "Yes, I'd go back tomorrow if I could!" His initial reply was a teasing 'no' followed by, "how about Monday?" I quickly stated that Monday was perfect and I would get a hold of the supervisor for that shift. After he left I simply cried again. This time out of humility. I felt so humbled! Even after I had poured out all my ugliness to the Lord He still blessed it! Our God is so good to us, so faithful even when we are faithless!
I promptly called my son's school to get a note to him that our prayer had been answered as well as just thank the Lord for His goodness!
No comments:
Post a Comment