Whistle while you work....

I have really been struggling lately with my job. I'm not sure if it's the job itself or just going to work in general that gets to me. Parts of my job I really enjoy, but I'm not so good with dealing with people in difficult situations. Any sort of confrontation, no matter how mild, has been a huge problem for me. So just telling some people our policy, which can be inconvenient to them, is a potential confrontation, so it can be hard for me to do. Ridiculous to many, I'm sure. I also don't ask enough questions when situations arise. My boss wants me to ask more questions, and of course, they need to be the right questions. Pressure. Unfortunately, I grew up in a home where I learned very quickly to not ask questions. Questions can rock the boat and my sister rocked it enough for all of us! She wasn't a bad kid, but she was strong-willed and Mom took it way too personally. But that's another story. The point is, I've worked hard at minding my own business and not asking questions to keep the peace. However, the rules of the game have changed and now I'm told to be inquisitive. However, I got good at not asking questions and now I can't think of them when situations arise. Boss says I'm not looking at the big picture. I plead guilty there because I'm trying to focus on the situation at hand. A problem has arisen and it needs immediate attention. I try to deal with the at hand and don't feel like I have time to stop and ponder all the possible scenarios or repercussions. Sometimes I think I'm just in the wrong job, but at my age and lack of training, I don't think I'd find another one. It's always who you know, which is how I got this one, in situations like mine. Maybe I'm just afraid to try. However, I do want to tackle this job and I do want to be successful. Honestly, questions just don't come to me. They don't always seem appropriate to me either or the timing isn't appropriate. But Boss doesn't see it that way. I need to learn to ask questions. I need to look at the big picture and stop sympathizing with the situation at hand. I need to just state the policies and not feel responsible for the way it may upset someone. It's just policy, but somehow people always answer with, "I didn't know that." Boss says they were told so they should have known so hold them to the consequences. After all, it's a business, but it's a business that's a service and one of compassion. Compassion I know! I'm a mercy and am way too willing, apparently, to show mercy in business too. Well. No one said growing up was easy and now that I'm here, "up" is not easy either.

Game Plan: Look to the Lord. Look for grace for the boss; for honest appraisal of the policies; for strength and peace in confrontation; peace and not anticipating the worst that may not happen anyway; for energy; for clear thinking and for appropriate questions to come to mind in a timely fashion. Amen.