Choosing dinner, The other shoe

We have accumulated at least forty menus in the control room where I work. At any given time there are three or more supervisors working the consoles. So when it comes to ordering out – since we are not able to leave – it is always fun for me to watch. I rarely participate but I enjoy complicating the discussion as the most important topic of the day is batted around.


When I worked in a plant in South Charleston, WV the lunch discussion began around 7.am. Seriously, it took that long for the four or more people ordering to agree on the type of food to be ordered (Italian, American, Mexican, Chinese, and so on), the place to order from, and how to collect the necessary cash to pay the delivery person – tip included.

Here it is not so complicated, but the discussion is almost as much fun. I have found it is fairly easy to settle in on what type of food to order, the real fun is who to order from. One bad portion, one bad meal, one bad memory can cause a particular menu to be totally discounted. Shift workers have big appetites and long memories.

Tonight it is buffalo chicken subs with chunk blue cheese and mozzarella on a toasted bun. I will eat what I brought. It will be easier on both my waist and my wallet. I am not being cheap, only careful. I will be on vacation next week and I always seem to gain unwanted, difficult to shed, uncomfortable pounds when I am away from home. I think it has to do with the unwritten rule that overeating is a “right” while on vacation. It is as if the food we eat when we travel does not have the same caloric value or fat content as the food we eat at home.

When I got to work today the supervisor I was relieving gave me the message I have been anticipating. The other shoe has fallen. It seems that the bank called four times this morning. He finally told the forth person that he was capable of delivering a simple message and they need to stop calling. I understand his frustration and I appreciate his handling of the matter.

I am anxious to bring the whole matter to a close. I am convinced that the Lord will bless me with both wisdom and supply as we make this right with the bank. I have to smile when I think that I made special arrangements to have my tithe and Faith Promise checks put in the available offering envelope while we were cleaning the church today - before I came to work. Since I will not be in church tomorrow, I wanted to make sure it was taken care of rather than expect my wife to take care of it. I like to keep short accounts on the promises I make to God.

In the movie The Thirteenth Warrior, when the final battle is imminent and the small band of Vikings must face horrific odds without the help of their leader who is sick from a previous encounter with the enemy, one of the combatants laments the shortfall of leadership and manpower, to which his comrade responds, “It is a small matter.” So it is with the finalizing of the short sale of our home. We will get through this, but it’s nice to have God’s help.