Goodbye The Source

Well, after almost a full year I am leaving The Source. In one sense it feels like I was there forever and in another sense I am thankful that I was able to find something related to my field so soon. I'm going to be building courses for Career Tech Services in Orillia which, even though it isn't really related to theological work, is still in the field of education. The hours are also more consistent and I will have weekends off which is great for my family. The pay is better too but the trade off is a longer commute along roads known for winter whiteouts.

On the one hand I'm happy and excited. No more crazy customers, no more being yelled at by ignorant or angry people. No more patching holes for systems that systematically fail. I'll be working in a quiet office and building online courses with people who appear to be of similar temperament and personality type. No more staggering to my vehicle trying to push the noise out of my head and a chance to try my hand at something I've always wanted to do.

On the other hand I have all the questions that come with starting a new position. Will I enjoy this? Will I be good enough? Is this really what I want to do? What if it falls through? What if they don't like me over there? Is the extra commute time worth it?

Everyone seems to think I'd be really good at the job and I'm inclined to ignore my doubts and assume that the people who know me are probably right. I will gratefully pass from this placeholder job which was as good to us as it could have been to something better and related to my field of interest.




I think I learned some things from The Source though. The Lord is constantly teaching us even through mundane drudgery. Here is what I've come up with in reflecting over my year at The Source.

1. Customer service taught me anew that people are complicated and real. When an upset customer is in your ear demanding that you fix problems you can't just ignore them and make them go away. I mean, you can by just disconnecting them, but that's not good customer service and that's not what I was paid to do. Customers get facts mixed up, don't understand how things work and why, and get all emotional which makes communication difficult. They are in the moment, in my ear, and what I say and do affects them in the hear and now, I can't just stop time to think about all of the ramifications of my words and so plot out the best thing to say.
   
2. Personal slights lead to major blowups. Customers who take offense at an associate's demeanor or words have often lead to the worst (and most ridiculous) types of calls that I get. Yelling, screaming, being told to leave the store, the police getting involved, and the customer demanding that I fire the evil store people or nobody of their demographic will ever shop with us ever again. I think Proverbs says something about how wounded pride leads to bad things, in any case, this is what I learned.
   
3. Dignity can get in the way of doing what's good and right. Part of my job was to apologize and take the hit for things that were not my fault or even the fault of my company. This was a hard lesson for me. Customers would make a mistake or read something wrong and then get all upset that we operated like a normal reputable business, not bending to their insane perceptions. My first instinct is to toss them out on their duff and say "no, we only keep receipts for 2 years and no amount of emotion on your end or work on my end will bring a 3 year old receipt back from incineration. No, just because you misread the price of something doesn't mean we are going to give that to you. No, just because a random associate who you can't name told you that we would be having a super great sale on that item today doesn't mean that we are going to give you a $150 phone for $15." My job, on the other hand, was to apologize for the whatever it was they thought had happened, and offer them a gift card for having been inconvenienced, even if they were making it all up and their story was insane unlikely. It grated on me but it often worked and they kept shopping at The Source and giving us their money. Ugh... even writing about this makes me on edge and goes against the grain of my being. (the customer care rep who kept on me left a few months later) An exchange of dignity for money. Outside of a call centre environment this is the logic that enslaves and destroys people. Filthy. But I suppose there were times when my dignity got in the way of authentic apologies and kindness, which is the lesson I am taking with me.
   
4. Apologies and kindness can go a long way. I already knew this, but sometimes it just hit me afresh when I was able to make a customer's day by listening to them, apologizing, and either fixing their problem or offering them a gift card to make it better.
   
5. I may be nicer than most but I'm not as nice as I thought I was. When I got a crazy call I would write it down, remove the names, and post it online. These, while often funny and a favourite thing to read for many of my friends, sometimes made me feel like I was betraying someone in that we were essentially laughing at their ignorance and mistakes. I changed how I wrote the stories and which ones got posted but some of the earlier ones remind me that I can be mean and petty if I'm not careful. I don't think anyone noticed or cares, but I do.

So there's five reflections. There may be more to come but I doubt it.

On to the next chapter

Greg Out

The Shepherd is Coming

As a drove to work this morning I was struck by the image of a shepherd coming to save his sheep and how this was a theme in what I consider to be the greatest of stories. Jesus returning at the end of the ages with the armies of heaven to save his people and restore the world. John Shepherd bringing the united forces of the galaxy to defeat the Reapers and save the earth. Gandalf leading the Rohirrim to save the defenders of Helm's Deep. King David riding into battle to save the people of Israel. King Théoden heroic charge at the Fields of Pelannor. The return of King Aragorn and the restoration of peace to all Middle Earth.

My heart exults with this image and I am filled with hope and wonder at the thought that one day, perhaps even today, The Lord will return and set everything right. I'm not sure if the sky will actually peel away like a scroll or if that is just the creative licence of musicians but whatever happens The Lord's return will be the best and most incredible thing that has ever happened.

Is this yearning for the return of the Good Shepherd in every heart or just the hearts that The Holy Spirit places it in? I think it must be in every heart, at least in some primal sense even if one can not articulate it or understand it. This is part of our being created in the image of God, a yearning for relationship with our creator.

This image of a shepherd. God calls his chosen leaders to be shepherds. David was a shepherd and God called him to be king. Jesus is the King of Kings and he came to us as The Good Shepherd, his birth being announced to common shepherds while the Wiseman were instructed not to tell the king. Psalm 23, written by David the shepherd king, explains how The Lord is our shepherd and how our relationship with him ought to be. He is the shepherd, we are his sheep. He leads us to green pastures even though we lead him to the cross and we would rather wander to barren places, he makes us to drink from clear water even though he thirsted and we do not want to drink, he protects us from wolves and lions because we can not defend ourselves even though we tore his body and murdered him, he walks with us through the darkness because he is the light of the world. We are tired and afraid but he keeps watch and brings us in close. He tirelessly labours on our behalf to provide for us, protect us, and lead us to his Father's house and one day he will return to bring the dead to life and lead all of his people past, present, and future into the new heavens and new earth where we will live forevermore in the peace of The Holy Spirit under The Good Shepherd to the glory of The Father.

Come Lord Jesus
Amen