Engineers and Mules

I try very hard to be patient, because I know I'm dangerous. I once thanked the Lord He gave me a protective boss (Tom) at Standard Motors, but God let me know that He put Tom over me, not for my protection, but for everyone else's protection.

God them reminded me of three individuals who had quit after I spoke harshly to them. He also reminded me of two engineers who had left my area because I spoke harshly to them. One of them, a very dear friend, stayed away for a year after he was nagging me about something and I asked him if his wife ever accused him  of obsessive nagging.

Another engineer never returned. He had implemented one more cost saving idea. I told him the story my Dad told me of the boy who went to engineering school and came home to the farm excited about cost reduction. He begged his father to try it out on their mule.

Every day they cut the mules feed by one straw. Amazingly, every time they reduced the mule's feed, the mule got stronger, sleeker and worked harder. The mule started frolicking around the farm yard, even to the day the experiment got down to two straws a day.

Both the father and the engineering student son were excited about the results of the experiment. So the son asked, "Father let's go down to one straw a day!" The next morning, they found the mule had died."

After I told that story, the engineer got red in the face, and walked away without saying a word. The next week, I found that my area had been reassigned to another engineer.

Tom actually used me to motivate an engineer to move faster. While I was ranting about an alarm that wouldn't shut off, Tom called the engineer, (the same engineer who had earlier left my area to never return) and said, "Mad Dog said if you don't get down here and reset this alarm, he's going to hurt you!" I don't remember saying it exactly that way, but the engineer was down there in less than 60 seconds.

I now pray, almost daily, for the Lord to give me the wisdom not to wound those I love or respect. I did not start this prayer till after I met Mary. He has restored several relationships since then, at least one of them miraculously.

We are made in the image of God. Our brother is Jesus, the Lion of Judah, and our heavenly Father is always just around the corner. We need not walk in fear and anger, but in grace and joy.