Recovery Mode

Training is exhausting for me, physically as well as mentally. This week we did the first training class I had been scrambling to get the materials ready for. Even though last weekend was Easter, I had to prepare to do the training and get my office ready for the move since I would be away from the company at training all week.

When I trained on a regular basis (every other week or two) back in 1997-1999, I got into a rhythm and it was not as demanding. It also helped that I taught the same two courses repeatedly, with slight adjustments as the product released new versions. This is different. The eight courses we are preparing are all brand new, and each time will be the first time. That is very stressful because you are feeling your way through the material as well as the students. In addition, the courses I used to do were for two or three days. Only four or five times previously did I do a course that lasted as long as five days. That is the length of the shortest course in this curriculum. The longest is 20 days. So, this is new territory for me.

For several days after this type of training, you go into recovery mode. Your mind and body are regrouping from the demands of the week. In addition, you are trying to digest what you learned from the course, the students, and the issues you faced, so that you can make the next courses better. One thing I like about the students in technical training classes is almost all of them want to be there and they want to learn the materials. The motivation is very high. That is good for the conduct of the class but it creates a level of expectation that means you must be at your best at all times to succeed. It is a very demanding environment for anyone who wants to do a decent job and who cares about the people they teach.

Those of us who come from a more reformed background trust that God has placed us in the circumstances we find ourselves for a reason, that everything has a purpose and no learning experience in this life is arbitrary. It is very helpful to believe that God has a plan for me and what I am going through is all part of his preparation for something else, something to advance his kingdom, as well as fashion me into the vessel he has designed me to be.

Today will be focused on getting both my new office and my home office set up for the next stage of work, preparing the remaining courses. One thing that appears to be obvious is that this difficult schedule will force me to become better organized. It will also prepare me to meet a rolling set of difficult deadlines. It will not just be one and done and then relax for a while, but over the next three months, it will be one after the other after the other and so on. The last time I had anything close to this was the semester in college where three of my six classes were independent studies with intensive writing requirements. This is two orders of magnitude more difficult.

Thank you for your prayers. I have missed doing my writing this week. It helps me to organize my thoughts and think spiritually about the events occurring around me. I am thankful for the preparation of prayer that the Lenten observance helped begin. I know my wife appreciates that every morning I lay hands on her head and pray for her day.

I pray that God is gracious to you this weekend. That he gives you rest and refreshment and that the joy of Easter finds it place deep in your soul and that the flower of that event will blossom in your life in unexpected ways. Grace and peace be yours today.