thoughts from the travel agent

i have a really fun job at Lagniappe. As the scheduling/reservations director, I get to field phone calls and emails from all around the world. It's amazing how God is moving people to volunteer with us here in the Bay. It's neat to work with the team leaders and help them make plans for their team, explain our vision, and get their trip started. Although it is disappointing to me when I have to lay down the law (like telling groups we can't facilitate charter buses, telling groups that they can't check in at 2 am, turning away individuals or unskilled workers) I am growing stronger from being able to do so. The disconnect I feel is not being on the team side of things-not being out in the community rebuilding homes, not being able to work with the teams during the week. Since I work primarily from home, at times it feels like I am running a call center. It's fun to meet the team leaders when they arrive (if I can remember who is coming....sometimes all the groups run together)! Sometimes I feel like I blow in and out of Lagniappe like the wind, since I don't work there 40 hours a week. I'm thankful that I can work from home and be a stay at home mommy. Sometimes team leaders are so gracious-if my daughter is having a fit, and it's obvious to the caller, they will mercifully say, "Would you like for me to call you back?" Thanks for that. I feel very special when a staff member tells me, "So and so was here this week and they were asking to meet you." Have I reached celebrity status yet? Just kidding. So if you are in town, hopefully I'll get to meet you. And if I miss you, I'll catch you the next time. Because I know you will want to come back. one of the greatest lessons i have learned during my time in the Bay is that my righteousness is not in myself or anything I do. if I make a mistake, it's okay. i really do not like making mistakes, but i've learned that i am still very much loved when i make them. and boy do i make them daily. perhaps this was best visualized during homecoming week when we were working on our facility. being a new mom (first time mom I might add), i thought i knew everything we needed for the nursery. i had some great ideas, even down to the garbage can we needed to use. but there were other people with ideas-moms with several children and even grandchildren. but what did they know? i'm the hip, new mom. i know everything. they now make these special garbage cans for dirty diapers, named Diaper Genie. When you have a dirty one, you can insert it in the can, twist, and POOF! no smell, no fuss. you only have to empty it once per week. we got one when kate was born, used it, and really liked its convenience. i suggested we get one at LPC. idea vetoed. my feelings were crushed. my character was attacked, i felt, since my idea wasn't liked. my heart was stirring and i wanted to be heard! i wanted everyone to know i was right! it took a few days, but God taught me so much. my righteousness, my self worth, my likability was all tied to the trash can. the trash can was returned to wal mart, and i'm glad to say that it's gone. the nursery is beautiful, probably the cutest one i've ever seen, and it's all no thanks to me. if i had my way, it would be nothing like it is now, but God opened my heart to others and let me know that it's okay that i'm not okay. that i can be wrong and that i am wrong. and now we have a regular old trash can and it's just right. and i can still laugh about my diaper genie righteousness. don't worry- I didn't even mention during that week that i had stopped using the diaper genie given to my family as a gift-because even when you used it you could still smell dirty diapers.....