life beyond the well…

Tag Archives: growth


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Be On Time

A huge area for growth for me over the past year has been being on time to work.  For a while, I was flirting with the 8:10-8:15 arrival time instead of the 8:00 standard.  It’s not that I TRIED to be late, I just wasn’t putting a significant effort into being on time.  That, coupled with no real explanation of expectations in regards to arrival and departure times, left me floating with what I perceived as a flexible start time to the day.

For this year, I’ve made it a priority for me to not just be on time to work, but to be early.  When I was growing up, my mom used to tell me the following:

“To be early is to be on time.  To be on time is to be late.  To be late is unacceptable.”

With being on a time as a priority, I’ve seen a lot of success.  I’ve had to adjust my morning routine and pattern to accomodate for it, but it’s been worth it.  I no longer have the feelings of anxiety that come with rushing and trying to be on time, and gone is the sense of “flusteredness” that I feel after arriving to work late.  And, I’ve been able to get the close parking spots!

As I continue to think about what it means to be on time, I felt God tugging at my heart about the need to be better because I am a reflection of Him.  How can it be that I was made in the image of God, who I say is “on-time”, yet I’m always late?  But even better, how can I witness that I serve a God who is “on-time”, but always be late?

We are called to be ambassadors of Christ, and it’s difficult to do that if we fail to embody the qualities that we say He has.  My pastor says that if we don’t want people to see hypocrites, then we shouldn’t be one.  And while I am always committed to being an excellent represent of Christ, I am especially convicted of this in my workplace, where I am surrounded by so many who don’t believe.  Because I may be the only bible that someone sees, I need to make sure they aren’t lost or confused when they look at me.

So while my initial conviction was to be on time, I realize that the real conviction is to make sure that I’m the best representative of Christ to others and that I’m truly letting my light shine- even in the workplace.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!


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Share Your Burdens

“Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” -Galatians 6:2

As an only child for about 8 years, I became fairly used to not having anyone to really share things with.  Of course,  I talked with my parents, and I had friends; but I spent a lot of time reading and in my own thoughts.  As a result, I became quite the processor; easily analyzing and mulling over my thoughts and feelings.

It’s great to give careful consideration to your thoughts and feelings- taking the time to be in control of yourself and not being pushed by your impulses is a sign of maturity, that one must master.  But the other part of being a processor and an analyzer is that you can worry yourself with your thoughts, concerns, fears, hopes, dreams.

I’ve been reminded by two women that I talk with semi-regularly about my need to increase that communication; that I need to consistently share my burdens, and develop the relationship we have so that we don’t just talk when I’m having (what I view as) a crisis but that we are in a state of constant interaction and fellowship.  This is difficult for me, because I like to take the time to really understand what I’m feeling and why I feel that way before consulting someone else; but also because I don’t like to burden people or “cry wolf” with my “crisis”.

While all those thoughts are great for might be great for me, my failure to share my burdens with others makes it difficult for them to follow what the above scripture says.  In Christ, we are called to fellowship and commune with each other, to love one another as we love ourselves, and to carry each other’s burdens.  But those burdens can’t be carried if they are unknown.  And while people can surely pray on my behalf, trusting that the Holy Spirit will direct them to what I’m in need of as they pray, it could be a lot easier if I just shared my burdens with them, so that they could carry them to Christ.

What I realized, as I thought more about this, is that I’ve been treating people like “spiritual vending machines”, coming to them when I need a quick boost; as opposed to treating them like “spiritual grocery stores” that I shop and visit regularly.  The danger in doing that is that, if I’m not careful, it can seem as if I’m only talking to them when I need help.  It’s difficult to build meaningful relationships without consistent communion and sharing- and being willing to step outside my comfort zone and share the GOOD along with the not-so-good.  Nobody likes the “friend” that only comes around when they’re broke- and I’m committed to not just engaging with people when I feel spiritually broke, but also when I feel all the wealth and favor that God has promised me.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!