I was overwhelmed today. My new boss wanted to have a sit-down and the night didn't go well. I was cruising around kinda frantic trying to tie up loose ends when she calls me into her office. I ditched my equipment in my office and one of the overnight team leaders was there. She's like "Wow Nic you alright?" I told her that I was meeting with the big boss, kinda anxious, nervous, and the work wasn't finished. Then I stopped, looked at her and said that I'm supposed to be a big boy and this I can handle. She replied, "We all go through these accountability meetings, they suck but you'll get through it."
This encouragement comes as a surprise given who she is: She's a real tough-on-the-outside kinda person, single mom, super sarcastic, invites speaking in innuendos, flirts on the job, loves talking about money, hunky men, the Twilight saga and shiny things. She' got eyelash extentions and is very fashion savvy. I just wanted to illustrate -not judge. Her simple phrase had a good calming effect on my hurried mind. And proved just the transitions that God used to chill me out. Given how the shift went.
The meeting with the general manager wasn't easy. She came out asking if I liked my job. Total surprise! She said "Just because you give a 100% effort doesn't mean you like your job. You're always telling me how hard each night is. This bleeds onto your team." I was so unprepared that I didn't mention the obvious problems like music. I left on a conversation about how i like my job but am not good at it yet. Honestly I was clogged up ready to weep at my unfulfilled efforts.
So I punch out right after the meeting and there was that other team leader leaving too. She saw my "far-away look" as I was just wanting to leave to talk to God about this. Totally randomly she's holds out this brown bag saying: "How about a jalepeño cheddar cheese bagel?" I looked at her totally puzzled and said yes.
I was in my car letting it warm up when I took my first bite, i noticed a side of extra jalepeños in a sidedish and realized that this was her post shift snack. The bagel was right out of the bakers oven. It was so good and unlike anything I would have ever tried on my own (atleast in the morning).
I was scraping the frost off my car, when God blessed me with a glimpse of perspective. I started weeping with the ice scraper in hand for this fellow team leader who poured out kindness, consideration and gifts so unexpectedly to me. She cared that I was beat up by my day. Jesus must cry when acts of such kindness and goodness fill the lives of so many people that don't know Him. I'm motivated by faith (because of who Jesus is) to do those kinds of acts, what's her motivation? So I thought of the Judgement Seat and how hard it must be for Jesus to address individuals who have shown generous amounts of kindness, peace and love yet refuse Him.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith -and not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -not by works so that no one can boast."
