When I was fourteen, I worked for Publix Supermarkets in south Florida. (Cutler Ridge for the curious.)
Every day I clocked in at 11:00, walked around to the front office where the head cashier handed me my change dispenser and money bag. Then she said the dreaded, "Register eleven."
Ding, dang, dong but if they didn't put me on the Express Lane five days a week. They never said why. Never gave me a chance on the big register. I was just the young pup assigned to check out ten items or less.
I was fourteen and probably had some kind of attitude from time to time. I think I was slightly scatter brained nothing unusual for a giddy girl. Occasionally the manager or head cashier would say, "You were five dollars short yesterday." Or, "You were two dollars over."
I don't remember, and I have the diary to verify it, ever being in a lot of trouble over money issues. I seemed to have handled that portion of the job okay. Though apparently not so much with bagging groceries. I was told I bagged a women's bakery cake by sliding it carefully into the bag sideways, then flipping it up right to hand to her. DO NOT remember that but I was told I did it.
At the end of every shift, I carried my change case and money bag to the back room where I counted out $75 to start the next shift. One day after I arrived home, the manager called and said my bundle of cash was missing. There was no $75 in the bag.
What? I was devastated. In tears. How did I lose the money? I mean, I walked to the back hall, counted the money in the shadow of the office door and handed it in.
My dear father went in with me the next day and talked with the manager who insisted I lost the money. I paid it back. It took all of my meager savings, but I paid it back.
Later, I learned the manager had actually taken the bundle himself and accused me of losing it "to get my attention." I think a little sit down might have done the same, but no, he took the bundle, then TOOK money from me! What did he do with my $75 if the original was never lost?
I'm not sure what he wanted to teach me, but I worked really hard to pay attention to "whatever" from that day on.
What a strong response to such a seemingly small issue. I'd never lost money before. I'd never stolen anything or messed up so bad it took the office staff to cover for me.
My boss in the software world did a similar thing to me once. I was a project manager and forgot to change a date on a customer's training schedule. We all knew when they were coming to the plant for the training, I just missed it on the Excel redo. They'd changed their mind a few times and I confess, my eye does skip details from time to time.
The customer used the misstep as a throw away item in a laundry list of wants and complaints. But what did my boss do? Zero in on that detail. She didn't give me an my annual raise because of it. She said. "You missed the date on the Naples schedule. No annual raise for you."
Unlike when I was fourteen, I burst out laughing. "You're kidding me." I really think it was the Lord protecting my heart. I'd gone through a lot with her that year, and in fact, was no longer her direct employee. I did all the same work without any of the acknowledgment. But I loved my direct boss and worked really hard for him.
Later, when I brought the matter up with the customer while working on site, they laughed. "What? That was a throw away item. We didn't care about the schedule. She did what to you?"
Ever have one of those moments where you feel kind of blindsided by an issue? When the proverb of "one ah shoot will undo a dozen atta girls," weighs heavily on you?
I have. But then I realized having an excellent spirit is not the same as "being" perfect.
The Bible says Daniel had an excellent spirit. He wasn't perfect. Only one man was perfect. Jesus. Usually we equate excellence with perfection. But they are not the same.
It's impossible to be perfect. We can certainly strive to be the best. Working with excellence is a desirable trait.
But having an excellent spirit is something different. It means we react correctly to disciple, to correction, even to being wrongly accused. Man looks on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart.
I want to have an excellent spirit, don't you? The Lord doesn't require perfection. But He does urge us to be tender and teachable, to have a soft heart and excellent spirit. Getting mad, bitter, angry, or piling chips on our shoulders won't help anyone. Especially you, or me -- the wounded.
It's not easy to have an excellent spirit. The only way we can have one is by leaning into Jesus, trusting Him, surrendering our heart, soul and strength to Him.
So when you hear "excellence" think attitude, heart, speech, and spirit. It's not about being perfect. It's about responding rightly!
What situation is going on in your life where you can respond with excellence -- no matter what the circumstance?
Best Selling and award winning author Rachel Hauck lives in central Florida with her husband. She is a graduate of the Ohio State University and has traveled internationally as a software trainer.
But, writing is her love, and she hopes to spread the fragrance of Jesus with her words.
Her current release from Thomas Nelson is "The Sweet By and By" with platinum selling country artist Sara Evans. Her next release is "Dining with Joy" Fall 2010. Check out all of her books and musings on her web site at www.rachelhauck.com.
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