I had been having communication problems with the product manager I deal with most. He wouldn’t listen, he kept making changes and he wouldn’t tell me what he did. This lead to several very angry phone calls with customers and distributors. So as to not ruin my weekend, I put the BlackBerry down and refused to even look at my laptop for fear of another disaster happening! Didn’t really work, I fumed all weekend (you can ask my wife).
That Monday morning I had to get up early and fly to Los Angeles, CA. I knew, I just knew that the second I looked at my Blackberry that morning I would find more to get angry over. I got in my car and made the horrible mistake of turning on the BlackBerry. There it was, another email that made me feel like a fool from statements I made to a customer! So what did I do, I read and re-read the other emails that made me mad.
By the time I got to the Airport and parked my car in long-term parking, I was ready for World War III. I was thinking up ways to get even. Maybe I would quit, maybe I would just have the angry customers call him! Then the ideas started flowing on how I could really get even as I walked to the bus stop for airport parking….
As I got to the bus stop, I was pacing and just fuming. As I re-read the email (yes again), I saw this bright yellow piece of paper. I mean it was neon yellow, you couldn’t miss this piece if paper from 50 feet away, but somehow I total missed it walking up to the bus stop.
It read “Anger Management” in big bold words, with a list of things to do to calm down.
I think it took 5 minutes to stop laughing. I got the message. The one God left me. It was a sign, to calm down. I took the advice and followed the instructions… laughing the whole time.
My day changed from preparing for World War III to trying to figure out how to move past the problem. By the time I got to Los Angeles, CA the product manager understood what had upset me, apologized and since we have come to mutual respect on how to conduct business together more as a team. Which is all I wanted…
What could have been a war, ruining my reputation in the process, and potentially losing my job; ended with a thank you and some mutual respect. It also has lead me to create this website; that was the other part of the message. The one that God kept putting back in front of me…
It has been a couple years since that day, but I still laugh when I see that bright neon yellow paper in my memory. God left a message for me and unlike most times in my life, I listened.
Please take a few minutes and write down a message God has left you. Share with the world that God exists and the proof is in the amount of “messages” out there. You might touch somebody, you might bring someone to find their faith, or even renew their faith.
No matter how great or small the message. It was your message and I hope you share it. For it changed you somehow, just like it changed me.
Stu,
thats a very good story, I can certainly relate LOL. I’m still thinking of a time when God left a message for me, I know there were times…
A very obvious, but wonderful sign!
I’m sure God left me messages, I do remember when God gave me a nice close parking spot just for being patient. God is Good!
Thank you… it was very obvious. Sometimes it takes a neon sign to get your attention.