Faith@FedEx

God refuses to let me win the Lottery.
Of course, I would need to play to win.

God DOES however… provide a PATH, a PERSON, and/or opportunities, to PREPARE me for what is in my future.

A heard a guy put it this way:
In the wilderness, the people of Israel prayed for bread - but God gave them manna (i.e. stuff to make bread).
They wanted a finished product that they loved - He gave them the ingredients to make it themselves.

When I left full-time ministry, I planned to enjoy a couple months off, then hop into a corporate career that utilized my skills in the secular world.

I even made up a cool job title: Ambassador of Good Will.

I developed a C.A.R.E. process as a phase one counselor (Character Assessment & Relations Evaluation) to help people discover not only their personality type, but how their characteristics coincide or conflict with the rest of their workforce.

God has graciously provided answers to my prayers and needs, just not in the way I was asking. Instead, I have learned [and been reminded of] some valuable life lessons, as a Package Handler at FedEx Ground.

Some of the deepest, most meaningful insights have come to me between 3:00 and 9:00 in the morning, during the third shift sort and load. Here are some life-application lessons, courtesy of my experience at FedEx Ground:

“You aren’t supposed to LIKE it… you are supposed to LEARN from it.”

This was ‘the Voice’ in my head, responding to me one morning, when I was grumbling about not having any “bread” while in my own personal desert. Other mid-morning musings have come to me as well. All of these deductions were made while sorting tens-of-thousands of boxes coming down a fifty-yard roller line, but can be applied to all of life:

• * Just show up. God is counting on you.

• * The absence or presence of the right tools does not make or break the project, but it sure does make a difference.

• * Some days are REALLY HARD, but typically less often than easy ones.

• * Don’t ever expect EVERYTHING to go smoothly. That’s just life.

• * Great ideas like yours might not be implemented for very good reasons.

• * Regardless of your opinion, many of life’s tasks can be accomplished in ways OTHER than your preferred way… yet the sun still shows up the next day.

• * There is a fine line between assertiveness, and politeness… and how we verbally navigate that “line” makes a HUGE difference.

• * One of the most significant, defining moments in one’s character, is when your boiling point of human temperament can be averted.

• * That being said, I am personally discovering… that it seems to help when others keep in mind…
  that EVERYONE has a boiling point.

• * Sometimes, that obstacle you are wanting to improve, replace or remove, is an immovable object. Perhaps the necessary challenge is to discover a way around it.

• And FINALLY…

• * “Slow & Steady” DOES “win the race.”

• 
  I tangibly learned the importance of keeping a tolerable pace first-hand…
  when staring down the fifty-yard row of hundreds of boxes, ranging from padded envelopes, to eight-foot long, hundred-pound ‘couches-in-a-box,’ and monster truck tires, all haphazardly stacked and disheveled… all needing to be sorted as fast as possible. Dozens more-per-minute inventory were coming down the chute ALSO needing the same attention.

• The task was overwhelming, and seemingly hours away from completion, especially when it was just me on the line.

• Lo and behold… the seemingly never-ending stockpile of inventory all reached its’ destination, in due time.

• God does not intend disaster for us, but refines our destiny with every experience.

• Don’t waste a single opportunity to grow in your faith - we are all students [disciples] of life.

• God “Rend your hearts and not your garments.
  Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
  He prefers to not punish.”
  Joel 2:13