Wednesday, April 01, 2009
April Fools?
It's a new month.
It's also the day famous for practical jokes. Not being a huge fan of the practical joke, I was reflecting this morning on two memories from April Fool's that don't involve jokes.
There was the day many, many years ago (not even sure how many now) when April Fool's also fell on Good Friday, and our family received a phone call telling us that some dear friends were about to have a long desired baby. The trouble was, the baby was coming about 4 weeks early, and because it was April 1st, it took the poor dad to be (who also had a reputation for enjoying a good joke) quite some time to convince my mom that his wife was in fact, in labor. It was an odd mix - the remembering of Good Friday's suffering, with the anticipation of welcoming a special little guy into the world. Many things have happened in the years since that day, and our two families have become disconnected, but I don't think I'll ever forget the emotions of waiting for that little guy to enter the world.
And, a year ago tonight, I received an email from a friend on the other side of the country. A happy email. She wrote something to the effect of, "Shh. We haven't told many people yet, but thought since we'd chatted about our relationship in Malta that you should be among the first to know. P. proposed to me tonight, and he assures me that it wasn't an April Fool's Joke!" I had the privilege of attending their wedding in Newfoundland last fall.
I'm needing some happy memories today.
It's a new month.
The first quarter of the new year is now past, the "newness" of the year is wearing off, and it hasn't brought with it any of the things I'd hoped for or expected.
And, it snowed again overnight.
So, this morning I'm focusing on happy memories, and praying for the coming of new things, the restoration of hope, and the arrival of spring - physically and metaphorically.
It's also the day famous for practical jokes. Not being a huge fan of the practical joke, I was reflecting this morning on two memories from April Fool's that don't involve jokes.
There was the day many, many years ago (not even sure how many now) when April Fool's also fell on Good Friday, and our family received a phone call telling us that some dear friends were about to have a long desired baby. The trouble was, the baby was coming about 4 weeks early, and because it was April 1st, it took the poor dad to be (who also had a reputation for enjoying a good joke) quite some time to convince my mom that his wife was in fact, in labor. It was an odd mix - the remembering of Good Friday's suffering, with the anticipation of welcoming a special little guy into the world. Many things have happened in the years since that day, and our two families have become disconnected, but I don't think I'll ever forget the emotions of waiting for that little guy to enter the world.
And, a year ago tonight, I received an email from a friend on the other side of the country. A happy email. She wrote something to the effect of, "Shh. We haven't told many people yet, but thought since we'd chatted about our relationship in Malta that you should be among the first to know. P. proposed to me tonight, and he assures me that it wasn't an April Fool's Joke!" I had the privilege of attending their wedding in Newfoundland last fall.
I'm needing some happy memories today.
It's a new month.
The first quarter of the new year is now past, the "newness" of the year is wearing off, and it hasn't brought with it any of the things I'd hoped for or expected.
And, it snowed again overnight.
So, this morning I'm focusing on happy memories, and praying for the coming of new things, the restoration of hope, and the arrival of spring - physically and metaphorically.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Not those who think they are righteous
I was deeply encouraged by one of the Scriptures from my Lenten readings, and a line from one of the readings books tonight. My heart needed the reminder of who Jesus came to call. I have been so aware of my own struggles, my own failings, my own sins in this last season. So much more so than ever before. I have felt dirty and corrupted and worthless.
The book read: "Jesus calls people for what God wants to make of them. When it comes to choosing and making disciples, no one can equal Jesus for sheer daring."
And the passage?
Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent." (Luke 6:31-32)
The book read: "Jesus calls people for what God wants to make of them. When it comes to choosing and making disciples, no one can equal Jesus for sheer daring."
And the passage?
Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent." (Luke 6:31-32)
More on the Fire
Awhile back I was carefully following a story of a house fire here in Calgary that claimed several lives due at least in part to improperly installed security measures. I was stunned to see the story pop back up in the news today because the landlords had pled not guilty to the charges laid against them.
Not Guilty Plea Stuns Victim's Families
Not Guilty Plea Stuns Victim's Families
Quite the day...
To be fair, I had mostly a good day.
The first two thirds of it were productive. Things were flowing smoothly. I was settled in and happy, working hard on preparations for a conference our company is putting on this coming weekend.
I ran out to do an errand.
I came back, was handed some items to take care of, and asked what I thought was an innocent question. The response was less than ideal, and seemed to be indicative of a larger ongoing problem. It spiralled quickly from there.
A colleague and I handled the situation the way we've been instructed to. Let's just say that that we won't be doing that again. Because, you see, my boss flew off the handle at me, for bringing the situation to her attention (as per her previous instructions). She flew off the handle at the other person too.
There was shouting, and closed door conversations.
I'm not generally an angry person. I am often frustrated, but rarely do I descend into full on fury. Even when I feel hatred, it's usually a cold and distant thing, rather than a hot and wild thing.
But this was absolutely the last straw. I was so furious that my entire body was physically trembling with the adrenaline coursing through . I answered the phone and my voice shook. I sat for a few minutes in a colleague's office with the door shut and cried, waiting for my body to still.
Eventually things settled out.
Long conversations were had. Information was shared. There was crying on both parts.
And tomorrow I'm moving on.
There will not be a repeat of today. It is not healthy for me to have that much adrenaline coursing through my body when I already have issues with my health and energy levels. And, quite frankly, I will not be handling these sorts of situations that way ever again.
So, tomorrow is another day. I'll go back in, and work to forget the last third of today. And I'll keep doing the multitude of work necessary to get ready for the conference. And, quite likely, I'll keep to myself. Because that would seem to be the safer way to approach my office for a while.
The first two thirds of it were productive. Things were flowing smoothly. I was settled in and happy, working hard on preparations for a conference our company is putting on this coming weekend.
I ran out to do an errand.
I came back, was handed some items to take care of, and asked what I thought was an innocent question. The response was less than ideal, and seemed to be indicative of a larger ongoing problem. It spiralled quickly from there.
A colleague and I handled the situation the way we've been instructed to. Let's just say that that we won't be doing that again. Because, you see, my boss flew off the handle at me, for bringing the situation to her attention (as per her previous instructions). She flew off the handle at the other person too.
There was shouting, and closed door conversations.
I'm not generally an angry person. I am often frustrated, but rarely do I descend into full on fury. Even when I feel hatred, it's usually a cold and distant thing, rather than a hot and wild thing.
But this was absolutely the last straw. I was so furious that my entire body was physically trembling with the adrenaline coursing through . I answered the phone and my voice shook. I sat for a few minutes in a colleague's office with the door shut and cried, waiting for my body to still.
Eventually things settled out.
Long conversations were had. Information was shared. There was crying on both parts.
And tomorrow I'm moving on.
There will not be a repeat of today. It is not healthy for me to have that much adrenaline coursing through my body when I already have issues with my health and energy levels. And, quite frankly, I will not be handling these sorts of situations that way ever again.
So, tomorrow is another day. I'll go back in, and work to forget the last third of today. And I'll keep doing the multitude of work necessary to get ready for the conference. And, quite likely, I'll keep to myself. Because that would seem to be the safer way to approach my office for a while.
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