This past year has been an adventure in trusting God to provide. I try to trust him...then circumstances form mountains right before my very eyes and I doubt that God remembers me and my family. I remember going in for my shift at Costco...it was Dec 23rd...just one more day until Christmas....Christmas? Was it still coming to the Taylor house this year? What would we even have for dinner?
Still musing about this question...I headed for the end of my shift to my locker. I started walking my usual frantic pace as fast as my short legs can go...hoping to get out through the crowd quickly. So many full carts with hundreds of dollars of groceries and customers squeezing as many things in the cart as they can. I remember a day in the past when I would have done the same...how different those days look to me now in the rearview mirror of my life. This was the first night of working at Home Depot for the restocking the store shift.
I bumped into a co-worker from my department...let's call her "Kate" for this blog. Kate was scoping out the landscape and was waiting for me. "I just want to tell you that God has great things planned for you this week." My response...my eyes got real big and I was surprised she was talking about my life outside of work. "You have to keep the faith...so many people are looking to you to see how you are responding to what you are going through...your kids, the others you work with....everyone..you just never know who is watching and drawing strength and encouragement from you." HE has something great for you this week...There's more.....more than you expect or realize....."
I tried to believe she had a pipeline of good words straight from God and intended for me...I just wasn't certain I could hope that her words were true and a message of hope intended directly for me. I needed hope so I grasped onto the words and pondered them in my heart. As we got to the break room vouchers were given out to the full time crew for Christmas turkeys. One of my co-workers slipped me his voucher and tried to down play the gift by saying something about not liking turkey anyways.....Now I went back to the freezer and picked up a giant turkey that God had provided to feed us on Christmas...It was exciting. As I wrestled that giant turkey in my arms like a hunk of gold....I saw Kate yet again. She looked at the turkey and said...."That is only the start Glenn...he has a lot more gifts in store for you this week." The hope in my heart continued to grow...like a seed that now had some water and sunlight to feed it.
When I got to the break room again there was my Manager telling me to "take my turkey too...I still have the one they gave us for Thanksgiving..go ahead..you guys can use it." OK, now I had two huge blessings in tow...headed to the parking lot..this is crazy good I thought.....saw Kate yet again..she said "HE has a lot more in store for you this week....BLESSINGS."
I started to really believe in my heart that she knew something and if my faith wasn't strong enough I could certainly borrow some of hers........after all.....This morning my arms were empty and hope was gone......as I left Costco that day I had my arms full and my heart had an unshakable faith that God would provide.
I don't know how God speaks to you but when he speaks a message to me he usually hits me from multiple angles to make certain I am listening. He hit me with a message again quickly...
I pulled up home after Home Depot and was about to share with Michelle the Turkey story and Kate's words that God has blessings coming...before I could get the story out she handed me a paper with highlighted words. "Kelly Hope wrote this for you and wanted you to have this today." Now my kids are past the age of writing cute little drawings...so this was out of the norm for me. I stared at the words on the paper...it said..the words in caps are highlighted on my sheet in red and stand out...notice the first line.....
You need to EAT what he provided
SHARE what he has given and
LOVE what he has cherished...and PRAY
God is GOOD
God is GREAT
He is filled with FORGIVENESS and GRACE
Worship HIM now!
I thought...I will eat what he provided, I will share with others (like what had been done for me), and I will worship Him now....I lifted up my hands to the heavens...(something that has never come easy from my strict baptist upbringing I guess). There can be only one response to the God who provides...lifting up our hands in gratitude.........only He would provide a double portion to let us know he is there and he can do what he wants to get our attention. I shook holding the paper and began to unpack the story of the whole day to Michelle. I looked at her with full conviction "something's going on here and I believe there are blessings coming..not next week...but NOW. GET READY"
More to come........
Monday, October 17, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
What Gives Us Hope
I was interviewing a potential cashier for my fast food chain job last night. These are minimum wage jobs and I ask for a lot from my employees for the wage that they make. This woman "Sam" we will call her was in to interview. Our process includes an online test that measures sound judgement before the formal interview can take place. So many times people lie so badly about simple things...it can get you cynical so that you are jaded when you get to a person with genuine answers. She was genuine.
Sam has five children and works at the McDonalds across the street from my store. She is the drive thru cashier for them that makes everything run so well. She stepped right up and introduced herself with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Our store guidelines say we should hire candidates that smile right through the drive thru speaker....well she fits that perfectly. She won't even discuss the full story of what has her dissatisfied with her current employer..it isn't all money or hours...more about trust and respect. The first step in building any quality team--most business books will say "build trust with the team." The word is out on the streets now-especially in the projects on 12th Avenue that our store is moving in the right direction and one manager in particular is trustworthy to do what is promised. The knowledge of this for her can mean hope...hope that she can become a master cashier and make $2.00 per hour more....hope that she could become a production master cook as well and attain .50/hr more. Sam is willing to give up her first shift status in order to have a shot at making more for her family and giving them a better life and future. All she wants in return is respect and a few Sunday mornings to attend church with her children.
Really, listening to her and agreeing to give her that was easy from my side. Keeping my word will build her trust for me and the team. This is the goal...help find out what gives her hope.
Sometimes I believe my life is difficult and I am searching for hope daily. When we are forced to slow down and not plan our lives any further out than that day and that hour, it actually forces us to live more simply and trusting God more. I can trust Him....or I can pay it lip service that I trust Him. Really, in life there are no other options than trusting in Him. Today was a simple thing, but so much anxiety. We have no money for clothes for Haileigh and she has no fall pants. My wife Michelle was thinking this morning about how we need to get her clothes and God--can you provide a way?
When Michelle went to watch children at church this morning (just 1 of her many jobs) one of her coworkers had a bag full of pants and some were Haileigh's size! Michelle's reaction when she told me at home was recounting trying not to worry just this morning and about how God answered right away. Sometimes he answers so quickly and has the wheels turning long before we even ask...yet other things he can seem so silent. Where do we find that hope..our hope daily?
For those like Sam working in a dead end job with a big warm smile treating those she serves so beautifully so she can provide for her family. My life has never been as hard as food stamps and living in the projects...yet she finds hope to get up yet again each day. What a statement her life makes to others...
Sometimes throughout the past two years I have had mornings where my hope is lost, displaced or worn down...dragging my body up...growling when I look at my worn face in the mirror.....wondering at times what statement my life really makes......yet...
Jeremiah 29:11 promises
Sam has five children and works at the McDonalds across the street from my store. She is the drive thru cashier for them that makes everything run so well. She stepped right up and introduced herself with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Our store guidelines say we should hire candidates that smile right through the drive thru speaker....well she fits that perfectly. She won't even discuss the full story of what has her dissatisfied with her current employer..it isn't all money or hours...more about trust and respect. The first step in building any quality team--most business books will say "build trust with the team." The word is out on the streets now-especially in the projects on 12th Avenue that our store is moving in the right direction and one manager in particular is trustworthy to do what is promised. The knowledge of this for her can mean hope...hope that she can become a master cashier and make $2.00 per hour more....hope that she could become a production master cook as well and attain .50/hr more. Sam is willing to give up her first shift status in order to have a shot at making more for her family and giving them a better life and future. All she wants in return is respect and a few Sunday mornings to attend church with her children.
Really, listening to her and agreeing to give her that was easy from my side. Keeping my word will build her trust for me and the team. This is the goal...help find out what gives her hope.
Sometimes I believe my life is difficult and I am searching for hope daily. When we are forced to slow down and not plan our lives any further out than that day and that hour, it actually forces us to live more simply and trusting God more. I can trust Him....or I can pay it lip service that I trust Him. Really, in life there are no other options than trusting in Him. Today was a simple thing, but so much anxiety. We have no money for clothes for Haileigh and she has no fall pants. My wife Michelle was thinking this morning about how we need to get her clothes and God--can you provide a way?
When Michelle went to watch children at church this morning (just 1 of her many jobs) one of her coworkers had a bag full of pants and some were Haileigh's size! Michelle's reaction when she told me at home was recounting trying not to worry just this morning and about how God answered right away. Sometimes he answers so quickly and has the wheels turning long before we even ask...yet other things he can seem so silent. Where do we find that hope..our hope daily?
For those like Sam working in a dead end job with a big warm smile treating those she serves so beautifully so she can provide for her family. My life has never been as hard as food stamps and living in the projects...yet she finds hope to get up yet again each day. What a statement her life makes to others...
Sometimes throughout the past two years I have had mornings where my hope is lost, displaced or worn down...dragging my body up...growling when I look at my worn face in the mirror.....wondering at times what statement my life really makes......yet...
Jeremiah 29:11 promises
| |||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)