On Humility...

During these past few weeks I feel like I’ve been taking lessons from God on how to be humble.


Let me be blunt: I have not learned to like my job. I have tried, trust me. There are aspects of it that I really love – meeting people, working as a team, all the sweet tea one can consume – but for the most part, I just haven’t really enjoyed it. Since I work front of the house with the girls, I interact with them mostly. I felt for a while that I just wasn’t connecting with any of them. Sure, we chatted daily and shared laughs, but they were momentary and shallow. There really was no depth to our conversations, and I hated taking orders from someone younger and less qualified than me.

So, a few weeks ago I applied for another job. A job that I reeeeallly want; it’s in a field I’ve always dreamed of working in: Advertising. When I first applied I thought, this agency is so intimidating; I will never get this position; I have no experience. But then I would go to work at my current job and think, wow, I am so overqualified for this position. I have a degree and I am currently an overpaid (I wont complain about that) cashier slowly (like, molasses slowly) training my way to a management position. I already have management experience - at a restaurant just as successfull! But I understand that these things take time and that sometimes you have to crawl even after you have learned to walk rather well (heck, I’ve been running for years).

But, my pride kept nudging me to apply elsewhere, which I did, to the aforementioned agency. And I got an interview! Which went rather well I might add. I immediately wanted to put in my two-weeks at that other place of course. But I knew the smart thing to do was to wait.

One particular day, while waiting to hear back from the Agency, I thought to myself, You know, I should be thankful I even have a job. And it really isn’t THAT bad. I shouldn’t be so prideful, what if I don’t even get this other job?

So I said a little prayer before work. I asked God that he would please open the hearts of these girls, that we could connect on a level deeper than “Oh, yes, the tea isn’t sweet enough today.”

It wasn’t until literally a few moments after “Amen” that one of the girls came to me with a tip on how to properly store a used whisk. Normally, I would have proudly (and wrongly I’ll admit) rolled my eyes and complied. But I just smiled and nodded and said, “Thank you, I didn’t know that.”

Talk about a door-opener. That one comment about the whisk led to other conversations. Shortly after, a question of mine led to a very honest conversation about her beliefs in God and our different relationships with Christ. In fact, I almost cried when she told me she calls God her “daddy” because her own father passed away five years ago and Jesus has been the only positive male influence since then! This conversation started at the beginning of our shifts, and gave me a very positive attitude for the entire day. When the other girls arrived my heart had changed so much that we all chatted in our spare time about everything from Christmas to Ugg boots.

I left work that afternoon very satisfied, and wondering exactly why that had happened. I understand this was a lesson on humility – that our pride can only negatively affect us and that when we open our hearts we are rewarded so much more. But I couldn’t help but to think, what if this happened because this is where I belong? Maybe I don’t get this job at the ad agency and this is God’s way of making me happy here?

Or maybe it was just God’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m listening!” Of course, the ad agency would be much better for my career, and the place I would prefer to work. But, life has a way of choosing for you, I suppose. I had a second interview with the agency today and I feel like they really want me. However, they are pending a very large account (the account that would expand them to need more hires) and my job depends on this account. It feels SO much like Vegas all over again. For those who aren’t aware, there was an incredibly huge promotional opportunity for a pending account in Vegas at my old job. After weeks and weeks of waiting (and two fun-filled trips out West) the account was secured, people were hired and I was looking for a rental house. At the last minute, just when I was getting spoiled rotten, things fell apart.

And yet, here I am again. Waiting and waiting and waiting.

But I trust that I am here for a reason. That I should follow my heart and be optimistic no matter the situation. After all, things could always be much worse, and I’ve got a pretty cool guy on my side :)