I am going to start this piece off a little different. I need to set the right mood for this story.  Mamas, are you familiar with the song: “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter. If not, pause, YouTube and take a listen. I want this song in your head as you read about my BAD DAY. 

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My employer has recently changed some work parameters, which has caused an unexpected influx of work.  Lets be more accurate, a catastrophic landslide of added work. In addition to this new nearly unmanageable workload, I was also covering a co-workers desk who was massively behind. On my bad day, I ended up devoting a full morning to his voicemails and working late to finish his other tasks.  All while I was also trying to prep for my own upcoming vacation. These three things alone was enough for my bad day, but unbeknownst to me it was about to get worse!  

My perfect storm was fast approaching with one final nail in the coffin…

The the most crushing news of my ‘bad day’ was when I got the dreaded ‘thank you, but no thank you’ letter on a friend recommended opportunity. Mamas have you ever been so confident that something was meant to be, like there was no other way to write your story than for this to happen?  This had my name all over it!  (My extra portion of humble pie came when I realized I didn’t even make it past the first cut! Nothing feels better than instant and swift rejection, am I right Mamas?)

Anyone of these issues, singularly would have been enough for a ‘Bad Day”.  Normally I would shake it off, and move on. But piled up together, this day felt insurmountable.  

“You stand in the line just to hit a new low

You’re faking a smile with the coffee to go

You tell me your life’s been way off line

You’re falling to pieces every time

And I don’t need no carryin’ on

‘Cause you had a bad day

You’re taking one down.

You sing a sad song just to turn it around

You say you don’t know

You tell me don’t lie

You work on a smile and you go for a ride

You had a bad day

The camera don’t lie

You’re coming back down and you really don’t mind

You had a bad day

You had a bad day.”

Next, I did something I don’t normally allow myself to do. Mamas, I threw a pity party! It was large and extravagant; I even invited guests to join me!  I must have been an exceptional host too because, true story, my husband came home with lavender roses and tiramisu!

Mamas, I am discovering, through very painful trial and error, that my professional friction is meant to be the catalyst for my personal passion.  God has been trying to get my attention for a decade, and I have been misreading all the signs. I have a BIG work ‘thorn’ in my side, similar to the Apostle Paul (II Corinthians 12: 8-10). I have been trying to make myself comfortable, and my work thorn interferes each time. After a solid decade of ‘trying’ to find professional comfort, I can only conclude that I am supposed to be uncomfortable at work. I need to accept this friction so it can propel me into my passion project: THIS very website, my Ice Baby Ministries.   

How about you mamas? What is your friction and what is your passion? Is God trying to get you to switch your priorities too?