When the going gets tough....

You know those days where you go into work (wherever that may be for you) thinking about your day ahead and knowing there was a certain list of things that needed to be accomplished?  And then, 26 minutes later all hell breaks loose and it just goes downhill for the rest of the day.  I, unlike most of the world, happen to have pretty good Mondays because my Tuesdays are crazy (that's a whole nother post), but this Monday sure lived up to its world-wide reputation.  A multitude of personnel issues, wrong orders picked, trucking fiascoes  you name it, it happened today.  But, our job is to make the impossible possible so we find a way to get it done.  One way or the other.  So, today, when a manager and his foreman both show up in my office at 4:04 pm, I just know it.  Some emergency is going on and we're gonna have to find a way to fix it.  And there was such an emergency.  One of our customers had a forklift - with a load on the forks - tilted backwards in an aisle and we had to find a way to get it back up.  So a mad scramble for personnel, trucking, and coordination ensued.  There were logistics discussions, engineering conversations, and a slew of getting to people's voicemail before getting some actual answers.

But, guess what happened?  My truck driver came back in, the assembled crew made their way out to the customer and we righted their truck back up for them.  We found a way.  About seven people worked together to find a way to make it happen. One of Raymond's motto's is "Above and Beyond" and call me cheesy but I really believe in that.  We do. We strive to go above and beyond for our customers.  Now, does it happen every time?  Nope.  But we sure try our darnedest to find a way around that and get it done.  There have been many times where I was at a total loss of how to even approach a situation, let alone find a solution.  But thank Jesus - He always helps me do what I need to do.  Don't get me wrong - I don't always handle everything with extreme calm and clarity but I do what I can to get it done.  I've learned a lot of lessons over the past few years and am trying to apply them in my current situations.  Life is a journey and it really is what you make it.  I'm just happy to be part of a team that doesn't give up the first time.  That, to be totally cliche, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.  Cheesy, but y'all know that's just a part of me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

The Real Stuff

There are times in my life where I get totally distracted by the things of this world and my focus completely changes.  Days (and sometimes weeks) into this, I realize there is something missing in my life.  Something big.  Something important.  What is it?  Oh yeah, only the most important thing in my life.....Jesus.

This does not happen on purpose, of course.  And it's nothing new.  I've done it more times I'd rather admit myself, and people have done it for lifetimes.  Work, school, life, friends, selfishiness - there are a myriad of things that command my attention and cause me to distance myself from the only steady thing in my life.  The funny thing is - when things start to go wrong, it still takes me a few days to figure out what the heck my problem is.

More often than not, it is failure, defeat or heartache that drives me back to the place where I really belong.  But sometimes, it is the glimpse of something good, something pure, that makes everything else seem cheap and tarnished.  A real friend, people who care about me - really care - and who love the Lord.  When I am in that place, I feel just what it is that I've been missing.  It's pure, it's real and it's truth.  People talk about fellowship of the saints and how we should surround ourselves with godly people.  There is definitely a difference.

I'm not talking about Sister Christian, holy roller, I'm holy and you should be too people - I'm talking about those who are real, who are for real, and who love me for who I am.

Now.....I just have to remember this so I don't screw up as long the next time.

Moments That Matter

Do you ever find yourself caught up in a pattern of pettiness or just plain meaningless conversations with people?  It doesn't matter if it's friends, family, classmates, coworkers, etc....you have good conversations - but they just don't mean anything.  I seem to be caught in such a rut.  There are many people I speak with (especially during the work week) about a great many things.  And that's all well and good, really.  We need to create and maintain relationships and to do so means communicating with them.  My problem is I get so caught up in the things of this world: sports, movies, life, family, work, etc, etc, etc.  Again, all well and good.  But when this is all I dwell on, well then there's a problem.  Because then, I am wasting opportunities. 

When we were in Ireland this summer, we had a few very meaningful conversations and some of the team were saying about how good it was to be around like-minded people and have good "meaty" (as in substantial) talks.  I remember being a bit convicted about my lack of them back home, and then quickly dismissed it thinking that I would be bored after awhile if that's all we talked about.  This is a perfect example of how my flesh takes over and throws out anything good.  Bored, Kim? Really?? In having conversations about God and the kingdom and learning how to survive this world?  Lord knows I need all the help I can get in that area (I'm not being disrespectful here - He does know!)

Last night we had a family dinner at my sister's house celebrating my brother as he is moving away in a few weeks.  My siblings and I (and extended sibling haha) sat around a campfire and had a really meaningful conversation about ourselves, our experiences, what God is doing in our lives, and what we feel He is leading us to do.  It was one of those moments seemingly frozen in time...where, for a few hours, we were edifying and being edified.  It was sanctioned and beautiful.  Corny as it may sound, that's how I felt about it.  

So, as these things often do, it lead me to think about me and my life and my lack of "real" conversations and what I should do to change that.  Don't get me wrong, the NFL is starting this week, the NHL is in threat of a lockout, I have to make my pool picks, and I still want to see the Dark Knight Rises.  There are still awesome conversations to be had and they will happen.  Just watch out, we will be praying for opportunities to share and glorify Jesus.  

Try it out sometime...it may sound boring, but I can promise such conversations have the potential to change your life.  Think about it.