Perfect Peace

The last few weeks- the last few months- have been killers. 

Killers of time, of energy, of mental stability, of health, of sanity, of my peace. If we were quitters, I seriously wonder if we would still be doing this.

Numerous people call to get their truck scheduled and I tell them that I'm not scheduling anything for three to four weeks out. Mostly they all say "Ok, better get me on the schedule". I feel like sinking with despair. I do all the scheduling and so that should mean that I can just say no or that we can organize it accordingly, right?

Wrong. 

First it's hard to schedule jobs. In the past couple weeks we've had way too many bad jobs: a simple u-joint that ended up needing a rear axle rebuild, an oil change and a simple tune up that ended up needing a new engine, and a water pump that turned into a head gasket job. Each of those things as scheduled are simple, but those kind of changes drastically effect the schedule as a whole.

Secondly we have been very short handed. For most the month of May, we had only one mechanic working. Blake doesn't normally work in the shop as he keeps entirely too busy with phone work, customers who stop by, and the overseeing of what is happening and what needs to happen next. I have told more people that he will just have to try to call them back and consequently there is a whole clipboard full of phone calls to return, just waiting for Blake.

Third our shop is crowded. It's hard to organize when there just is no space to put anything and it's hard to work when there is too much stuff. It's also hard when there is only one bay per guy. If he has to wait on parts for his project, that truck has to be towed out and the next one pulled in until the first one has the parts to complete that project. Needless to say, the shop is becoming less and less efficient.

Last week was our first week of being back up to three guys working here. They are hard at work and trying to work fast, but we still go home late, dropping into bed after a quick plate of extremely simple supper.

 I feel discouraged, I feel frustrated, I feel tired.

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You: because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

My life is the storm right now; Christ is my calm.