This week my coworker gave me a jar of pickles. Yum!
At work, I have had to watch a professional training video at least three times. It's called "Give 'Em the Pickle" and it focuses on customer service; it's actually pretty interesting. The title refers to the idea that if you are a waiter at a restaurant, you should give the customer the extra pickle, basically going the extra mile to fulfill the needs of the customer. One of the video's main principles is that at work, you're in show business. That means that when things are going wrong, your customer is giving you a hard time, or you are just having a lousy day, you need to play the part of a person who feels happy and put-together, no matter how you are actually feeling inside. I guess this makes sense for work, especially if you are in the food service, because no customer or boss wants to see you sulking around all the time or know about your personal problems. They're happy (and would actually prefer it) if you can convincingly fake that everything's going perfectly and that you've got everything in control. Why? Because that's what they are paying for. However, while we may need to put on an act in certain situations at work, we are so lucky we don't need to do that with God and with our close friends.
I know I myself have found endless source of comfort from the book of Psalm, which you could say in many places is a recording of David's pain. He didn't pretend everything was pretty and perfect, but never stopped believing in God and brought his complaints to the right place - before God. Same with Job. During the "How to Avoid Burnout" session at RECORW, Patri shared with us the example of Elijah crying out to God for death under the broom tree. She pointed out that God didn't respond with rebuke but with compassion. He sent an angel to provide him with sustenance so that he could continue on. It really shows the kind of God we have, and also makes me think - as a friend, if someone brought the same type of complaint to you, would you tell them they are ridiculous, it's really not that bad, and to just suck it up? Job's friends (who didn't really act as friends at all) incurred God's wrath (Job 42: 7-8) because they did not respond with sympathy. In fact, their words to Job were an additional trial in his already difficult life.
So while we can't expect this from everyone, especially most likely not at work, with those we trust and are close to, we should be able to share our pain honestly. God will not rebuke us or look down on us for it.
At work, I have had to watch a professional training video at least three times. It's called "Give 'Em the Pickle" and it focuses on customer service; it's actually pretty interesting. The title refers to the idea that if you are a waiter at a restaurant, you should give the customer the extra pickle, basically going the extra mile to fulfill the needs of the customer. One of the video's main principles is that at work, you're in show business. That means that when things are going wrong, your customer is giving you a hard time, or you are just having a lousy day, you need to play the part of a person who feels happy and put-together, no matter how you are actually feeling inside. I guess this makes sense for work, especially if you are in the food service, because no customer or boss wants to see you sulking around all the time or know about your personal problems. They're happy (and would actually prefer it) if you can convincingly fake that everything's going perfectly and that you've got everything in control. Why? Because that's what they are paying for. However, while we may need to put on an act in certain situations at work, we are so lucky we don't need to do that with God and with our close friends.
I know I myself have found endless source of comfort from the book of Psalm, which you could say in many places is a recording of David's pain. He didn't pretend everything was pretty and perfect, but never stopped believing in God and brought his complaints to the right place - before God. Same with Job. During the "How to Avoid Burnout" session at RECORW, Patri shared with us the example of Elijah crying out to God for death under the broom tree. She pointed out that God didn't respond with rebuke but with compassion. He sent an angel to provide him with sustenance so that he could continue on. It really shows the kind of God we have, and also makes me think - as a friend, if someone brought the same type of complaint to you, would you tell them they are ridiculous, it's really not that bad, and to just suck it up? Job's friends (who didn't really act as friends at all) incurred God's wrath (Job 42: 7-8) because they did not respond with sympathy. In fact, their words to Job were an additional trial in his already difficult life.
So while we can't expect this from everyone, especially most likely not at work, with those we trust and are close to, we should be able to share our pain honestly. God will not rebuke us or look down on us for it.