Ever been unhappy with a job? Dissatisfied with where you are in life? Not fully on board with your boss? Feeling unappreciated? Work load is too much? Feeling like you can’t just go in and do your job and then leave it behind to go home and enjoy life? Too many hours each week? Physically stressful? Co-workers causing drama? A never ending barrage of events? All of the Above?
Well, some of those things applied to my job of 30 years. I started at McDonald’s when I was 16 and I worked there until about a month ago. Over the years this job had its ups and downs. Deep down I know that ketchup ran through my veins. I had been in the business long enough to know how to deal with almost every type of customer and crew member. I loved the busy days. The satisfaction of good numbers. The thrill of seeing happy customers. But….
In 2012 I became a General Manager and things began to change for me. I had challenges I had not faced before. I was now the one in charge..of a whole store. I did schedules and inventories and hiring and firing and paperwork and meetings and training and customer service and customer complaint calls and the list goes on. I was on call 24/7 in case something happened at the store meaning I could not turn my phone off “just in case” and it was permanently attached to me wherever I went. As time went on I took on more stress than I probably needed to.
At the same time, I began to love the people I worked with. They were on my prayer list. Some called me mom. I was building relationships and sometimes we even talked about Jesus. When God began to lift the grace from me to work in this capacity of General Manager I began to question His motives..yes, God’s motives. I argued that if I went on to something different who would be here for these people? Where would my ministry field be?
I had back surgery in November and I get a huge dose of disconnect. The store was not allowed to be in contact with me as this was a work related accident. So for three months I was off work…the longest EVER in my life for not working. I had plenty of time to write, rest and live in His Presence. A very relaxed and stress-less situation. I was pretty happy-go-lucky and I loved it.
When I went back to work the stress returned. It was almost like I had been a free roaming horse who just got bridled for the first time. As I tried to mesh my new free lifestyle with work again I felt so frustrated. This being on call 24/7. The people not wanting to come to work. The drama. It was too much. I just wasn’t filled with enough grace to do this type of work again.
Tomorrow I will fill you on the rest of the saga. But for now just know this: Sometimes God lifting the grace is the very thing which catapults you into your promise land.
Dear God, Thank You for lifting grace at times. Thank You that You always offer me a safe place to be. Help me to see You and what You are doing on my behalf. Thank You for knowing every detail of what I need in my life to move into my promise land. Thank You that with every twist and turn of my life you will be right beside me. Help me to stay so close to You that I can feel You breathing.
In Jesus Name Amen
Step Upon the Golden Road with Me! 