Lesson's From Wal-Mart
For the past few weeks, I have been working for Wal-Mart at nights in order to get a little holiday money. I worked from 10 at night to 7 in the morning stocking shelves in the grocery area and thankfully that task is now over. I must admit that I have places on my body that hurt that I didn't even know there were places. Anyway, I look at everything as an adventure and experience, and try to learn something about life from everything I do. I like to observe life at work for there are so many lessons to be taught. Therefore, I offer the following, unrelated, lessons from my experience at Wal-Mart:
- NOTHING EVER CHANGES.
Many have a tendency to complain about their place of employment as though
the problems and challenges are unique to that place. But there truly is "nothing
new under the sun." I have worked at many places over the years and have found
the same things constant. Management complains that the employees don't do
enough. Employees complain that management has cut them too much. There is
not enough equipment or not the right equipment. Management talks a good game
but doesn't follow through. The list goes on. Don't think you are alone in
your misery at work!
- THE WORKERS AND THE SLACKERS.
As has always been the case in other companies, there were some at Wal-Mart
that practically knocked themselves out working while others slacked off and
of course this was a cause for contention among employees. But I noticed that
the onces who worked hard, kept on working hard. They did not allow the poor
examples around them of slacking off to bring them down as well. Paul said
we should serve "masters (or employers) as to the Lord" (Ephesians 6:5-6.)
This means doing our best because we serve Christ no matter what others are
doing around us.
- THE FAMILY THAT SHOPS TOGETHER. I was stunned and amazed at the number of families that came into the store to grocery shop at 3:00 in the morning. We are talking about fathers, mothers, teenagers, toddlers and babies all walking around together grocery shopping and not all going in different directions. My first thought was, "What kind of parents drag their children out at 3 in the morning to grocery shop?" "Shouldn't these kids be in bed?" The more I watched this phenomenon the more impressed I became as I have not seen this sort of thing in years. One might see a family once and a while but this was nightly and many families. They look so happy too. The teenagers didn't have that "why me" look and everyone looked pleased to be together. It gave me great hope that families are not so endangered and that the family structure is coming back. For our society's sake, one can only hope so.
