Stress test

Well I think I was tested today. Im pretty sure I came out on top. We had another positive living group tonight at my flat. We had seven show up tonight. Its not the same people every week, I usually get a good mix of Christians, Muslims, and Agnostics. Im still hoping my resident Hindu friend comes back as she really likes the teaching. The topic was avoiding stress. Right after the video is when I was tested. I should tell you its 11:15 and Im writing this from the office. Let me give you a little background to this problem. One of the deadlines we were facing was this particularly long project. The client called with changes yesterday that needed to be implemented by 10:30 am today. So not a lot of time to waste. We implemented the changes and the tech guys went to work making it happen. I stayed until 9:00 finished what I had to do then barely made it to quiz night. I was starting to get worried…I hate missing quiz night. The boys ran into some technical issues and didn’t leave til 3:30 am that morning. I was so proud of them sticking with it and meeting the deadline. Then the client called back at 4:00 PM with even more changes. They needed the project by 7:00 AM tomorrow. You see once you build chapters in a DVD and the menu, one tiny change, you have to do the whole painstaking process over again. They had not one change but many changes. So I did most of them, or so I thought then I ran out at 6:00 in order to hit my Positive Living group on time. Well I did make it back and that’s when the problems started. Mainly the problems were due to human error…some of it, admittedly might have been mine. Finally when they called with something that couldn’t be fixed. I had to excuse myself and come down to see the problem myself. The good part is that most of the group had already went home. I was left just chatting with someone that goes to my church. The person I was talking to was someone on the elder board whom I answer to for accountability purposes for my small group. This guy is a really nice guy and he cares for me. He just doesn’t care for Joel Osteen that much. He believes that its unrealistic to believe that believing in God and everyone will be healthy, happy, and whole with no problems. At least that is his perception of Joel’s teaching. Right or wrong…its his perception. What that philosophy is sometimes called is the Prosperity doctrine. While that is an essential part of the message of Christianity. Its also not the only message. For example there are consequences to sin, there are struggles and pain. He, and the critics of the prosperity doctrine, believe that should be shared as well. I should say a lot of people share that negative opinion of Joel. It seems like Joel endures a lot of criticism most of it from within the church. I always seem to be an apologist for Joel. His philosophy and teachings really helped me escape the doldrums of my divorce. In fact, I believe Im a poster child that his philosophy really works. Its just interesting that the man with a fervent relationship with God on the elder board doesn’t like Osteen’s philosophy that much while the other non-church people in my group love it. I see both sides of the equation. Im here to spread that philosophy to whomever will listen. The complaint against Osteen is that he’s not theological enough. Now that works perfect for the audience that God has called me to reach. Anything heavier theologically would ostracize most of the people that come to my group and thus defeat my goals in reaching out to the unchurched here. So while Joel’s philosophy might not be right for everyone. Its right for me and what Im doing here.
OK…back to my story, I was talking with the elder when a phone call from the office came with major problems with the project. I had to excuse myself and run down to the office at 10:30. I explained to him…see Im not stressed at all. My guys have been here a lot longer than me. I told them when I was leaving today that I paid my dues and spent my fair share of time with late nights. Wait…you know what…I don’t think I’ve ever done one complete overnighter on a project. That is kind of strange, because you’d think with never missing a deadline, I’d have at least one or two. But honestly I can remember any of them. But Im not stressed about being here. Not ever really bothered by it. I feel bad for my staff because they are putting in such long hours and not complaining one bit. Im very proud of them. Its at times like this I feel like Im a good leader. But stress…no, not today.