Friday, September 11, 2009

Shift Change

I've been back to work at ShopNBC since August 17. Things have really changed for me since returning. First thing that changed was that the day I got back I had to move to a different cubical because the computer at my at my desk didn't work. That initially upset me. As it turned out I got to sit at the desk next to the person I consider my best friend on 2nd shift.

The next thing that changed was my "down time" responsibilities. That means the job I was assigned to do after 8PM when customer service department closes and only order capture calls come in. When the phones are quite everyone has other administrative jobs to do. Since back in March mine had been to answer online emails sent to us through the company website.

Without going into details let me just say that I really really disliked answering emails. I prayed for quite a while that I could get out of doing it somehow. About a week after I returned to work my supervisor called me to her desk and told me that I was being taken off of answering emails. She gave me a reason I still don't quite understand but it doesn't matter. I now have a different "down time" job and I like it a whole lot more.

However both of those changes pale in comparison to the change that's going to happen starting the week of September 21st. I am moving from 2nd shift to 1st shift. It will be a big change for me. I haven't had to get up in the morning and go to work since the first week of April 2008. It will take some getting used to. I've become quite a "night owl" after working 2nd shift for nearly 9 months.

My hours will be 7:45 AM until 4PM. I will still have to work the weekends, which means I won't be able to go to church on Sunday mornings very often, except on my days off. This will really change my plans to become involved in children's church as a ventriloquist. But it won't eliminate them. I will also be able to do something with the Wednesday night Awana program on a regular basis.

Also my wife and I will be able to spend more time together and go to bed at the same time. We'll be able to go to a movie when we want to even if it's after work. I don't have to go into details but our lives will be a bit more in "sync" then they are now.

Next week is the last week of working 2nd shift. I will miss the co-workers I have come to know and entertain over the last few months. I know for a fact that working 1st shift in the call center is a lot different. I will have a different group of supervisors and co-workers to get to know. It's busier than 2nd shift as well in regard to answering phone calls. There will be almost no "down time" but I'm sure the change will be worth it. This switch will be a positive change. It's what I wanted all along.

The immediate result of this change is that I will be able to spend a bit more time with my family from Pennsylvania when they arrive here in town later this month. That's a benefit.

I've been praying that God would give me the opportunity to get back on the same page with my wife and the rest of the world as far as scheduling is concerned. Now He has answered that prayer. So another big change in my life is about to happen. Now all I have to do is turn it to a positive and productive one that will help grow into being the Christian God wants me to be.

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