365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 127

We were given Good Friday off at my work which is unusual but we were thankful. Unfortunately, the rest of the alarm industry was working away on Friday so come Monday morning our work was piled high and a power outage over the weekend created some trouble to work through. I was busy working away when I was called to the operations manager office. It’s either I did something wrong or they have something they want me to do. So, as she started to tell me it was about a customer who was given a permit but turns out is not in that jurisdiction, I started to feel the defensiveness kick-in within me. I immediately went into explaining how tedious the task is and how a mistake could be made. I had to go and re-check stuff and found no other mistakes which thankfully made me feel good and my office manager was happy to have that information to pass along to the jurisdiction. The jurisdiction contact is a very nice lady and responded with a nice email that basically said the same thing. We are human and with all the addresses and details we have to deal with, it is understandable that mistakes will be made. This seemingly instinctive defense mode I get into when someone is criticizing me or telling me of mistakes I have made is part of my temperament. It will be something I will be looking further at within myself and looking to the Holy Spirit to help me overcome this weakness and give me the means to be gentle in my response to criticism and not become defensive but have the confidence in who I am and what I do.

Proverbs 3:26 For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.  

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 315

I am pretty sure there are distinct personality types created by God and some of those types or at least one of those types is more prone to having fears. I have struggled with fear of what people think of me, fears of being on the phone, fears of conflict and more for my whole life. This last year since doing the bible study Fearless by Max Lucado, the Lord has really helped me get past some of these fears. Mind you, we are always a work in progress so today may be a fearless day and tomorrow I may take a step backwards. Yesterday at work, was one of those fearless days. I have been confronted with having to cold call alarm companies at my job in the past 3 years but have managed to delegate it to someone else to do or find a way around it like discovering an email address. Yesterday, I was emailed a copy of an invoice an alarm company received with a quick written note on it that the alarm had been installed in 1970. Unfortunately, that was not an excuse to get out of the fine this alarm company received. In looking at their account, I discovered there was no contact information except a phone number. OH No! I contemplated it briefly, got side-tracked temporarily, and than came back to it and just picked up the phone to cold call this alarm company. I ended up speaking directly with who I needed to speak to so that was a good thing but he ended up getting defensive right away and definitely had an attitude. I was relieved to finally get somewhere with this man and get off the phone. In the end, I am pretty sure he just doesn’t want to pay or follow what the law says but at least I made the good effort attempt to educate him and help him clear up his account and try to get him into compliance with the law. I would never have made that call had not the Lord been working within me and helping me overcome my fears and build my confidence. So all praise to Him!!! But I will be praying this day will be without any need for such phone calls. Thank the Lord it is Friday!

Isaiah 41:13 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.