The Powerful Four D's

PEACE  TO  PRESSURE

As daybreak approached with the speed of a jet airplane and the uninviting rumbles of the alarm clock makes its presence with the sound of a runaway train, my morning began.  After gaining the strength of getting out of bed and making those first five steps, I was well in control of what I thought was going to be a normal day.  The early morning ushers in a very peaceful and quiet time of the breaking of day.  Reality was certain with the task of adjusting to the briskness of a cool early spring morning as my body entered the shower.  After only a few moments things started to change.

While struggling through the act of getting dressed, time was just right for my morning devotion.  As I read and spent time with God, I felt that all was well.  I suddenly had the strength to get through the day.  

I began my ruthless journey to work.  Today would be spent traveling to my manufacturing plants.  I made my way to the airplane which is the way I would be traveling today.  As the flight began I was trying to prepare for what was ahead and reflecting on the things that had to be done this day.  The flight was somewhat relaxing with calmness  and the quietness of being alone and being able to think.  While in the air alone by myself and with God’s presence, I could enjoy the beautiful sky that He provided.  Only God could have made all that I was enjoying.

When I arrived at the plant for what was going to be an informational and preparatory visit, a drastic change occurred.  Suddenly the time I had spent with God earlier became history.  When I was alone and things seemed simple I could depend on God, but when tough decisions had to be made, I began to take charge.  Sound familiar?

After I took a quick look around the plant to see what was going on, I discovered things were being done that I had not advised or expected.  When events such as these happen then you know that things can go from peace to pressure.  No warning.  No announcements.  No preparation.  This allowed my thoughts to rapidly advance to the emergency mode.  All kind of alarms were going off around and through me, and I wasn’t sure how to stop them.  After addressing a few unexpected manufacturing problems on the sewing floor, I finally entered a meeting, which I felt was very informative.  This allowed me to get somewhat back into control of my thoughts.

After enduring a unsatisfactory diet lunch of diet coke and peanut butter crackers, my next journey was traveling to another plant.  This flight took approximately one hour.  The time was early afternoon and at time of day the air gets a little unstable.  This flight was not as smooth as the one earlier.  During the flight, I took time to reflect upon what God had done and is doing for my family.  Suddenly I let God back into my thoughts.  My, how wonderful that feels.

    After arriving at my next plant, there was a message for me to call another plant immediately.   I had two emergency problems to address before I could get my mind readjusted for the problems at hand.  This was very draining, but things were satisfactory.  My meeting was about to begin.  As I entered into a discussion with the plant owner, he began to direct all the directions of problems at hand to finding fault of what others have or have not done for his problems.  This finding fault totally threw me into a state of depression.  My mind could not comprehend or endure what was before me.  After a few moments, I ended the meeting without totally covering all matters of what I thought was important.

Suddenly I felt that almost all my day had been a waste.  Arriving home, I was consumed by the events of the busy day and was not the husband that I should have been.  As this day began with all peace and security that surrounded me, I felt that this day was going to be uneventful and very productive.  When things changed I did what Peter did when he stepped out on the water.  At first he looked up with his eyes on Jesus, I to looked up.  The real mistake was when I took my eyes off Christ and adhered to the things that was surrounding myself.

How many times of the year have I experienced days that sound very similar to this and accepted as being normal?  I ask others and they too are experiencing these same situations often.  So, I ask, what kind