Its' all gotta go....

As most of you know (if you follow me on FB or Twitter)The Superfamily just recent had a fire in our home. No one was hurt and nothing of any real value was damaged (no major structural damage etc..). However, even after the fire dept aired the house out with “superfan”, the house still smelled of burned plastic and smoke. Although the fire was contained to the basement, its effects permeated to every lower level bedroom as well as up to my bedroom on the main floor to the kitchen, living room, dining room and bathroom. In short, the whole house was contaminated because of a small fire in a contained location.

The insurance company has set us in a several hotel suites and the family is doing ok, terribly inconvenienced but ok. But the house is another story. The professional restoration people has practically wiped my home out. They have taken everything from the pictures that were on the wall to every VCR tape we had in the house. All the furniture, tables, chairs, beds, dressers, clothes, shoes, washer, dryer, pots, pans, vases…EVERYTHING was packed in a box to be cleaned offsite and brought back after renovation.

I had a tough time with this. It seemed a bit overboard and it was inconveniencing me even further. I had to go buy pans & pots to cook with at the hotel for goodness sake. It seemed to me that as long as the basement was cleaned, the rest of the house should be fine. But the professionals knew better. They knew that after the reconstruction, the painting, the cleaning of carpet, washing on walls and every crevice of the basement was not enough to ensure that my home would smell appropriately and not continue to push smut though the air from one room to the next…. They HAD to take out everything that was touched by smoke, take it away and clean it. In so many words they told me, its all gotta go. At one point I went and sat in my living room and cried. I spent four years designing the walls and finding the perfect B & W photos, finally picking out furniture and making a pretty big house a warm home. To see it all in shambles, dirty, smelly and boxed away was overwhelming. To know my family had to scramble to find a few day’s worth of clothes and my husband lost rest and time having to handle the business of this was more than I could take. Angry wasn’t the word. I should be studying for a play, finishing my book and helping to plan a wedding, not hauling clothes and food in my car to 4 different hotel rooms. However, the professionals also told me that when they return the items, they will look like new and the smell of smoke will not be on them anywhere. Hmmm...that's an upside...

Somebody out there has some things in their heart that were ruined by poor relationships, a torrid past or bad decision making. My advice to you…its all gotta go. Give it all to God and allow him to make it all brand new. You will be inconvenienced for awhile, but when He begins to restore you to your rightful place…you will be like new again. So sit in the living room and cry, like I did if you must…but please know DON’T’ keep the damage hidden from the Lord. Expose your hurts, your disappointments and your desires to Him and let him restore to you the joy of your salvation. But first…its all gotta go.

I didn't get the job

I didn't get the job I interviewed for...it was better pay, more work, more responsibility and hours, and did I mention better pay...but I didn't get it. So, why am I still smiling?? That's a darn good question. On the surface I have nothing to smile about...I mean I still have a job and I'm grateful. But this was an opportunity I wanted and I didn't get it. I am disappointed but encouraged...why...well because of why I didn't get the job.

I interviewed with the President (yes, it was THAT kinda position) and the interview went very well..we had common interests and talked about family, the position of the company, the economy...just a mirage of things. I sent a thank you letter and he was cordial and appreciative. Then I found out a few days later that I didn't get the position. HR called me later that day and said that the President wanted to talk to me about his selection. Frankly, I didn't want to talk to him. I just wanted to go home. I didn't really need to hear the "you were a good candidate but didn't fit what we were looking for speech". So I blew off the call from HR and didn't call him to set up a meeting (I know that wasn't right...but hey that's what happened).

But then 15 minutes before I was going to leave, the President walks down to my desk and and tells me to "be sure"to stop by his office before I leave. GREAT..just great. So I put on my coat, grab my bags and put my sunglasses on my head and prepare to trounce down to his office with an attitude. My co-workers (who I told what happen) are thankfully God fearing and wise. They took off my coat, took my bags, put my sunglasses in my purse, got my lipstick out and told me to put some on and go to his office like I had some sense. I hate them :-). So, I did...long story short he did give me the "speech"..but he went on to say that to put me in that job would be a complete waste of resources and as a matter of fact he said he talked to my boss a few days ago to blast him as to why I was doing the job I was doing instead of something else. In my head I thought-WOW...out loud, I said...oh. I was speechless.

He told me to be patient (he doesn't know that I don't have any extra patience to spare) but that he saw that I could be leading a couple of key projects and assignments. He has only been on board at the company a few weeks, but he is taking note and manuevering people to strategic positions based on their skill set and potential-not necessarily based on only what they think they can do. Could this be all smoke and mirrors and an evil plot to sweet talk me to make sure that in my bitterness I don't overthrow the company?? I suppose...but I doubt it. Its not something he HAD to do. He could just fire me. He chose to take the time to talk to me. He could have e-mailed me, texted, sent me a letter...but I had value in his sight and he felt obiliged to move his calendar for a simple conversation. The man sowed honor, so now he his due honor. There was a BIG God-lesson there for me. Somehow knowing the logic behind it (the lesson and his strategy), it made the tough pill easier to swallow. Ok, it still sucked...but you get my point.

I even sent the lady who got the job a nice congratulatory gift and handwritten card on my best stationery (aren't I a sweetie...?) Yeah whatever, I didn't want to...might as well tell the truth-but I had to. I needed to bless her in order to settle what happened inside of me and move on. So, I didn't get the job...that hurt-but I am on first name basis and on the radar of the President of the company. Unlike most here, I got to "present" myself and show him my value add to this company. It was a God given opportunity that seemingly got me nothing...but actually got me everything. So, hey at 4:00, when I walk past that person's office who got the job who is still working her tail off and I'm going home to my family...I smile and say God you are wise and I trust you and I moonwalk to the elevator and go HOME.