Second Time Around

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”Hebrews 11:6 NLT

Ever asked God why you were going through something a second time?  Pondering what possible lesson you could relearn?  Confused as to why you were repeating something surely you already knew?  I as a matter of fact am doing just that right now.  I am attending classes for work which I already took one some 12 years ago or so.  At first I was a bit baffled as to how my record of taking this class was lost, then it dawned on me like a sunrise, God had a plan!

As I sit here in a luxury hotel some three hours from home with access to a pool, hot tub and two buffet style meals a day and a room which is almost a mini apartment, I am thankful for where God has retaken me.  When I took this particular class years ago, I learned some valuable things, however I did not grasp the reality of it all.  I did not think at that time I would be in the position of running a restaurant so some things I just laid aside.  Silly me!  God had other plans for me and so now I am paying full attention and hoping to  glean what I can from this second time around so as to aspire to be successful!

There are two things in particular in this class which are not just related to my job, but to my life they can be applied.  The first thing is the seven good habits.  Habits which from the first time I took this class I should have had in place already for my life. The seven steps are easy and can be applied to everyday life: Be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win/win, seek to understand then seek to be understood, synergize  and sharpen the saw.  Then the last day of class we will be going over ordering our personal life and work to find a balance.

When I took this class last time as well, I was not in a place emotionally where I could apply the principals of a planned out,organized day.  I was in the middle of a battle with a husband addicted to medications and two small children.  I did not see the point in structuring my days so that I could have time to rest and re-energize myself.  My days were up to whatever my husband or kids required of me, not what I needed.

As I have had a great deal of time to reflect and grow just in these last two days, I am more aware of how God designed us to be.  We need to be prepared and proactive.  We have to visualize the big picture so we have something to work towards.  We have to put God first and foremost.  We need to participate with others so that winners will rise among us and we are accepting of others.  We need listen first and act second.  We have to be willing to work together and become like a glue which holds things together.  And lastly, we need to refuel and have a purpose in life.

I plan to take this seriously this time as I am not so sure there could be a third time for this lesson.  I am thankful for this opportunity given to me by my current boss.  I know that I will surely bring back this valuable lesson to the store and begin to implement some of these things so that others can begin to order their lives as well.  We all need balance and forming good habits is a good way to start.