Goodbyes... and hellos

I worked my last shift at the kitchen store today. It was bittersweet. I am excited for the next chapter of my life, but am really glad that this chapter happened. I didn't plan on this 6 month stint. I hated most of it. But looking back, I learned some valuable things, made some great friends, and proved myself to be a valuable person.

Some lessons:
-Don't try to get ahead by cheating others. Even if you do get ahead, those you cheated will dislike you. I watched a co-worker do this. It hasn't gotten her fired... yet.
-Learn how to deal with crazy. It comes in all shapes and sizes. The ability to take it, then deal with it later, is invaluable.
-Always be gracious. No matter how horribly the person has treated you in the past.
-Listen to stories, even when you have heard them already. Even though the Portuguese accent grates on the nerves sometimes.
-Always do thorough, correct work. two reasons... A) no one else has to go back and fix it, B) everyone will miss your work when you are gone.

Saying goodbye was hard. My boss almost cried. My manager tried to blow it off as not important, but based on the number of times she tried to convince me not to leave, combined with the number of times she said she was going to really miss me, i think she was at least sad.

Less than an hour after clocking out for the last time, my new job (scheduled to start Monday) called and asked if I could come in tomorrow to help. So I am ready to say hello. To a new world, a new life, and new opportunities.

national day of prayer

A friend posted on facebook, asking what all her friends are praying for on the National Day of Prayer. Here's what I am praying for:

-obedience: As I read Bible story favorites about God working mightily, I realized something. While He doesn't need a specific person to do His work, the specific people He used had one thing in common: they OBEY. They weren't perfect (David). They weren't in their prime (Abraham). They weren't always the most wholesome in their decisions (Samson). They weren't popular (Joseph). They didn't get it right the first time (Jonah). And the list goes on.
I pray that God's people will OBEY Him, so He can do mighty works through us.

-faith: Tying in with obedience, we have to have incredible faith. So often, I hear Christians say that "God could do this if He wants to, but I doubt He will." It strikes me as so passive, to be said with shoulders shrugged, sitting on a favorite couch, watching to see if my doubts will win out. Ok, Thomas, its time to change that attitude.
Instead of having a passive faith, Christians need to practice an active, aggressive faith. Something more along the lines of, "God, I have faith that You will do this." Notice the period? No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Even reading it over, it is hard for me to claim that. An addendum feels so natural and necessary. So I will add this on: Christian's cannot command God to do anything. He will do what He wills. Christians need to have faith in His will alone.
God, I pray that your people will exercise great FAITH in Your will.

-To tie them together: You can't have one without the other. As mentioned above, faith has to be active. I can't claim to have faith that God will work, and not be willing to be used in His work. I have to obey him. I can't obey God without having faith that He will provide all that I need to accomplish what He has asked of me. He is never going to ask me to do something that I can do on my own strength. He is going to ask me to do SO MUCH MORE! I can only obey when I have faith that He will be working in me and through me.

What are you praying for this national day of prayer?