That was unexpected...

I really enjoy and possibly overuse the three dots and by that I mean '...' Speaking of 'and by that I mean' I added some links to my friends blogs etc. Very exciting for you (because now you can visit their sites also) and for me (because I knew how to do it...)
So this morning I woke up with a feeling of sadness that my soul couldn't shake. (It wasn't really that bad, that sentence just sounds poetic) I didn't want to go to work today. Today I was at the job where I spend my day moving meat. My meat moving days are fairly predictable as opposed to my other job where I talk to people and sell merchandise. (Customers and their sometimes strange personalities can add an unpredictable element of randomness to the day)
here is a run down of a regular day moving meat: ( I will go somewhere with this just in case you are like 'get on with it...')

My day begins at 8:47 when my alarm goes off... I promptly turn it off and go back to sleep until 9:11 when my second alarm goes off. Both alarms are set to an irritating buzzer for music would be far to easy to fall back asleep to. The second alarm is placed on a counter on the other side of my room forcing me to get up to turn it off. I go through a regular morning routine of;

• breakfast,


• reading my Bible,


• doing push ups,


• spending 1/2 hour wondering why I didn't stay in bed for another 1/2 hour

Once I get to work my day includes, but is not limited to, the following.

• putting meat in it's appropriate place on the shelves


• realizing that I have cold hands I.e. turning purple


• getting gloves (I have what I call 'smoker gloves' that let my fingers have a little maneuverability)


• fighting with the clock radio they have for us to listen to (its old and some of the wires are shorting out so to get it to play at a consistent [and not too loud or quiet] volume is difficult if not impossible)


• trying to figure out how the weighing machine works and hunting for the right codes to weigh the meat


• listening to the same songs over and over again -evanescence 'call me when your sober', Nickelback 'rockstar' or 'photograph', Nirvana 'something from 'nevermind', a red hot chili peppers song usually there newest single, something from Led Zeppelin etc. etc. I hear these songs every time I work weighing meat


• spending ten minutes (at least) pushing a pallet up the ramp into the freezer (the ramp is steep enough that it takes me a few tries)


• re-wrapping meat that will now be reduced in price - This is why I don't shower in the mornings because at the end of this I smell like meat and when I get home I want the smell off me


• asking my self 'If I were this meat where I would I go?'
  

Today however was different for two (2) reasons

1. I didn't bother fighting with the radio and thus heard little to no music throughout the day


2. Someone unexpected was shopping in the meat department and it brought Joy (ha ha ha ha, I crack my self up) to my life.

Who was this unexpected person? you might ask... Well it was none other than my good friend Joy,(you see, its funny because...)

My job isn't terribly mind consuming and the encounter with my friend got me thinking (I promised I'd go somewhere and here it is) about unexpected blessings.

By the way I'm aware of the fact the approx 75% of this blog, i.e everything from 'so i woke up this morning...' to now, could have been summed up in a sentence like this one 'So I ran into my friend at work today; it brought me Joy (ha ha ha) and got me thinking ...'

I find it incredible the blessing God gives me. I'm sure I fail to notice all the blessing God has in my day to day life but I notice some of them. I like to see God in the little things. The big things also. It's neat to see and discover God appearing in my life. Through (for example) a song, a conversation, animals, an email from a friend, the weather, sunrises, day offs sunsets the mountains and other creation things, the list goes on... I heard a sermon once about being more aware of blessings in our lives. The pastor gave the example of opening the blinds and then thanking God for the sun. Not that that is a bad thing but ...the sun has been there the entire time... Do you see the point? I'm trying to be more aware of the blessing in my life. I know that God blesses me daily but sometimes I just fail to see it. It's something I should ask God to do more often -Show me the blessings He is giving me.

Today however was a blessing so obvious that even my regular ignorance and nonobservance couldn't block it out. Looking back I can know see that God has been working this out for at least a few days. He had the manager at my merchandising job schedule me for Wednesday when my availability clearly states I cannot work that day because of another job. This prompted a search of the availability binder and schedule time sheet to see how I could have that shift changed. I suggested I try and change my shift at the meat moving place. it worked to change my shift and thus i went to work today instead of tomorrow. Joy had recently moved here and lives on the opposite side of town. The only reason she was there was a gift certificate. Plus the 'coincidence' of her being in the meat department at the time when I was putting meat on the shelves. It was a well orchestrated blessing. Thanks God...

The short and dirty of it all ; 'Seeing Joy' -That was unexpected

aplogies for the lack there of grammar etc.

until next time...

-luKe