Yesterday and today have been two of those kind of days. The kind that reek of despair and frustration. The kind in which nothing goes according to plan. My list of people and things on my bad list is rather huge (federal government, Starbucks, my bank, the state government, the insurance people, the attic insulation people, whoever decided it was okay for the insulation people to come today, the dogs, the city government, the Time Warner cable people, etc.) 

Each of the above situations involves me doing something, answering something, paying for something, deciding something, or changing something that was not on my agenda or grand scheme for life.

Then, I remembered, it has never been about me or my agenda. God cares very little about how much I owe or am owed, His heart lies where mine should be, concerned about the content of my character.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefor my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him." (Psalm 28 7)

I was not at a point of rejoicing because God wasn't my shield. I was attempting to be my own shield, thwarting life's trials with the equivalent of a measly plastic toy. He desperately wants to be my helper, if I will but let Him. My heart cries to rejoice in Him, but I cannot; and I suspect you cannot either, without giving everything back to Christ. He is a much better problem solver than I can ever pretend to be.

Last week was spent in Florida. Warm, sunny, relaxing Florida. It was tons of fun to meet up with an old friend of mine for dinner at Gloria Estefan's vintage Cuban restaurant, to tour the multi-million dollar model homes at a retirement village someone was trying to recruit my parents to move into (!), and to attend the fairy tale wedding of a Xanga friend...it was all sublime.

I sit here, unpacking my bags, shaking off that distinct "I have been hanging in a hotel closet" scent from my shirts, and wishing I were packing again. I so love travel, but really do not want to travel for a living...I think working while traveling would take some of the fun out. Of course, I thought that about working for Starbucks and I still love it.

I was thinking about influence this week, particularly in how I influence my employees to do their job well. Being in the Sunshine State made me think about the life of Walt Disney. The man was such a genius. He took a simple cartoon drawing of a rodent and turned it into a multi-billion dollar corporation that brings magic into untold numbers of lives each year. Did you know that the sun never sets on a Disney theme park? Did you know that the employees are trained to greet each person they see--fellow cast member or guest? Did you know that at the Magic Kingdom, there is 27 feet between each trash can--the scientifically proven distance a person will carry a piece of garbage before setting it down. I mean really? Who cares about this stuff? The execs at Disney do apparantly and it makes all the difference.

Wow. Just think about it from a Christian perspective. What if more people worldwide recognized the cross than the mouse ears? Walt Disney changed Florida, America, and the world by having a vision for creating happy moments for families. What can I do? What can you do?