Turning Point

When I was a young man, I had a job that I enjoyed working with people that I liked.

There is an old saying that states that ignorance is bliss.

I was happy but only because I was ignorant of changes that would soon turn that part of my world upside down in the span of one day.

One Friday morning, I was approached by two managers.

They informed me that the company had promised a shipment to a customer that day.

They added that when the product reached my department for inspection we were to do whatever was necessary in order to make sure that product shipped that day.

While this might prove difficult I could not assure them of the likelihood of success until I had more information.

I needed to know how much product there was, when I could expect it and who the customer was.

There were over one hundred units and I could expect them by the middle of the afternoon.

This was going to be challenging.

Then they told me who the customer was and that made a challenging task impossible.

This customer was associated with a governmental agency and both demanded that every dimension on every part be measured for compliance and safety.

Even if I put every inspector on this task, there was simply no way we could both measure and record everything and certify that the inspection had been performed to their specifications.

It was obvious that they were not happy with my stance and they strongly suggested that I think it over before the parts made their way to me.

They walked away.

The moment they departed, the people in my department asked what was going on, so I filled them in.

They asked the question I anticipated, "What are we going to do?"

I told them that we were simply going to do our jobs to the best of our ability.

We were going to comply with the customer’s and agency’s demands unless they provided us with a waiver.

That afternoon the parts made it to our area and the two managers accompanied them.

I asked them if it were possible to request the waivers we needed.

They informed me that waivers would not be requested.

I told them that this was regrettable.

I turned to the staff and reminded them that we knew what the requirements were.

I divided the parts equally between us and we began working.

We were going to give it our best effort but ultimately we knew that we would not be able to keep this deadline.

The two managers watched us work for a few minutes and left so that they could talk in private.

About an hour later, I was summoned to one of their offices.

He reminded me that he had personally promised this shipment.

I then reminded him that he knew their requirements and therefore should either have not made the promise or requested waivers.

He told me that he expected me to look the other way.

He added that the next time, my job might depend on it.

What he was in essence telling me was that I would have to be willing to be dishonest.

This would mean being dishonest with myself as well as with a customer.

I informed him that I was not willing to compromise my integrity.

2 Chronicles 19:9 (NET) - He commanded them: "Carry out your duties with respect for the LORD, with honesty, and with pure motives."

I knew that my future with that company could never again be what I had hoped it could be and immediately began looking for a new job.

With God's help, I found one.

For what it’s worth, I have been at my current firm in excess of twenty years and that would not have happened had I compromised what I knew to be correct.

As I prepared to leave that company, I sensed that the people in my department were genuinely sad to see me leave.

I wished them all well and I still think of them often.

I suspect at least some of them were eventually asked to compromise what they knew to be right.

Although difficult, I hope they made they made the right choice.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Checkmate

When I was a very young boy, my uncle taught me to play checkers.

When I was a little older, a family friend gave me a chess and checkers set.

As much as I liked to play checkers, I was fascinated by the chess pieces.

I really wanted to learn how to play chess but at that young age I could not read the instructions and no one in my world knew how to play.

As time went by, I grew older, my world grew larger and I learned how to read.

One day, as I browsed through a bookstore, I discovered that many books had been written on the game of chess.

I was delighted.

I carefully selected a book that not only explained the rules of the game but also taught some of the strategies.

I remember how I went through all the example situations time and time again.

As time continued to go by I read every book on the game I could get my hands on while at the same time my world grew larger.

Eventually, my world grew large enough that I had a handful of friends that also enjoyed the game.

We played when we could and I was not disappointed with my apparent knowledge and mastery of the game.

After graduating from high school, my world grew larger still and I entered a few tournaments.

Although I never won a competition I was glad to meet new people who shared this interest and my game continued to improve.

I recall a time when I was in my twenties and I entered a tournament.

I faced my first opponent and was shocked by how quickly he defeated me in the first game.

Not to be deterred, I decided that in the second game I would play much more carefully.

Yet, despite my best effort, my opponent defeated me fairly easily.

That second loss eliminated me in the first round but rather than dwell on that I congratulated my opponent and complimented his play.

He graciously accepted and we spoke for a few minutes.

I simply had to know what books he had read so that I could learn from them as well.

I was astounded to learn that he had never read a single book written about the game.

He had many brothers and sisters growing up and played chess every single day.

He continued to play daily while he attended college.

It was his wealth of experience that enabled him to defeat me as easily as he had.

The Christian walk is a lot like that.

We can read the Bible plus all the other Christian books and magazines available to us.

Yet, it is how we choose to live out our lives every day that determines whether or not we live as Christians.

Scripture is important and I would not for a moment suggest that it is not.

Yet knowledge of scripture without living out what it teaches makes one a scholar, not a Christian.

It is our relationship with the Trinity and our fellow man that determines where we are in our Christian walk.

These relationships, when deepened on a daily basis, improve our lives and the lives of others significantly.

Jesus put it this way.

Mark 12:30-31 (NET) - "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these."

Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com

Preparing for the Worst

Currently, there are many television programs that deal with preparation for a post apocalyptic world.

For some reason, television producers sometimes prefer to use the word "Doomsday" in their titles.

So many of these programs revolve around people preparing to live in such a world.

These people are shown stockpiling food, water and weapons.

They are then depicted training to use those weapons.

Some even have more than one stockpile in the event they forced to abandon their primary store.

Some are spending huge sums of money building elaborate underground bunkers.

One family is even building a castle in order to defend their resources.

They then spend both time and money training themselves in how to best protect what they are amassing.

Before continuing, I do not think there is anything wrong with being prudent.

I keep a small supply of bottled water, canned goods, batteries and candles on hand in the event some natural disaster strikes and services are disrupted for a few days.

These individuals go far beyond prudence.

What they are in essence preparing for is the end of the world as we know it.

They are preparing for a complete breakdown of society and the anarchy that would inevitably ensue.

They imagine themselves locked safely inside their fortified walls along with their food and water successfully defending themselves against all comers.

Let's speak hypothetically for a moment.

Suppose the first to arrive at their compound is not some angry mob.

Suppose it is instead a single unarmed individual who is badly in need of food and water.

What would be their response?

Would they take this individual in?

What if that individual were a child?

A child that was not only in need of food and water but also frightened and alone.

Would their response be any different?

I suspect not.

Perhaps that is why the term "survivalist" seems appropriate.

Perhaps when one willingly sacrifices all compassion for his fellow man he also willingly sacrifices living for the sake of surviving.

I have to ask myself a question.

Is the world they prepare for the kind of world I would want to live in?

I would have to answer resoundingly "No".

I would much rather accept what Jesus promised.

John 14:2-3 (NET) - There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so where I am you may be too.
 
People are free to make choices.

I will choose to spend my time doing what Jesus said was most important; loving God and loving my neighbor.


Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com