I always want to be in my best mood at the beginning of every day, especially at the beginning of my work week, because I think, how I feel at the beginning of my Monday could mostly likely set the tone for the rest of the week. Or not.

Thank God that more often than not, I usually come to work on a Monday morning, feeling refreshed and ready for another week of work and everything that comes with it.

But this past week, I felt a bit odd, parang wala ako sa tamang kondisyon. Wala naman akong sakit, wala rin akong mabigat na pinagdaraanan. I just was not on my usual mood. But I was still able to endure a rough week. I knew, walang duda, it was Jesus who sustained me. As always. ❤

In the last three to four years of working, Jesus has been patiently teaching me to walk with Him one day at a time, so that I don’t have to carry the burden of having to be perfectly ready for the whole week, and instead to just be ready for each day by being present with Him at every moment of every day.

Even When I Do Not Have As Much Enthusiasm As I Usually Do

No matter how I try to remind myself to be happy one day at a time and tell myself all the mantras and all the motivating lines I tell myself each day, there are still those days when I don’t get to have that same energy and liveliness that I usually have.

Don’t get me wrong. I know for sure that I am not depressed. Na-check ko na sa DSM V! Charot! It could sometimes be due to that ‘time of the month’ when we, women are about to have our ‘monthly visitor’. Alam n’yo na ‘yon.

These moments remind us that it’s okay not to be okay at times. And that in times like these, Jesus wants to let us know that He is still here, He is still at work, He can still do something amazing out of awful, awkward, odd circumstances.

Even When Some People Try To Push My Buttons

Whatever your job is, chances are, you will encounter someone who, intentionally or unintentionally get into your nerves whether it be with a provoking remark or a simple, seemingly harmless joke.

In my job, I regularly get to talk to customers—people from all walks of life, with different conditions and backgrounds—over the phone or in person. And not everyone makes it a smooth and easy transaction. It’s the same with people who I get to talk to before and after work.

In those times when it’s very easy to lose my composure and act on my emotions, the Lord taps my shoulder and reminds me to allow Him to take over. Jesus would sometimes tell me to “shake it off” if it is something that is not really supposed to be taken seriously and it’s not worth the time and energy to obsess about.

When it is something that needs to be handled with assertiveness and firm objectivity, He would remind me to not respond with my emotions and dissociate just a little in order for me to not involve myself with the situation and deal with it professionally.

What the Lord has been teaching me in every trying moment is to keep my integrity intact. That is, to be honest with myself and with other people, speaking up when I need to, voice out what I need to, without malice or any subtle desire to retaliate or to hurt back.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” –Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

Even When I Fail To Show Compassion and Consideration

There are times at work or even outside work when I feel like I should teach people a lesson by not giving in to what they want or even to what they need at the moment. In these situations, I sometimes think, “why should I do it for them when they can do it themselves?”, or “If I do it, I might get in trouble because this is not in accordance to the procedures and instructions…”, or “Baka mamihasa sila at mawili, baka masyadong masanay, they might become spoiled, etc.”.

In situations like this, Jesus makes me realize that my worries are due to being judgmental to people. Minsan, masyado ko raw pinangungunahan ang ibang tao, ang sarili ko, lalo na Siya. Which is not good.

My worries about what will happen or how people will behave going forward are not healthy and not godly. But Jesus is ever faithful and merciful enough to let me be aware of my mistakes so I can correct them and try to do better as I continue to grow and learn.

Jesus also reminds me to ask Him for wisdom to know what to do, when I have to do it. And to surrender my will to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide me since what I do is and should always be for the Lord, anyway.

WHEN I FALL SHORT, JESUS STILL CORRECTS AND GUIDES, AND DOES NOT CONDEMN

In times when we feel like we are not our best self, when we don’t feel like putting our best foot forward, when we don’t feel the way others think we should feel, Jesus reminds us in different ways that it’s okay. He’s still here.

This is the time when we can learn to practice being patient with ourselves, with other people, and with God.

This is also the time when Jesus reminds us to follow Him, follow His examples, and to listen to Him. Always.

Other people may become too hard on us, but often times, we are the ones who can be the hardest on our own selves. Whatever others say, or whatever we think they say, the only thing that matters is what Jesus says.

Once we learn to tune in to God, we will surely learn that He makes our wrongdoings known to us in order to correct us and give us chances to be better, and certainly not to condemn us and to punish us with of His wrath and anger. Remember, Jesus took all of that already. And what is left to us is God’s love and mercy.

Love and mercy. He never runs out of them. 😊 ❤

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