I Hear You and I Get It

I hear You and I get it! by Emily Jane

We’ve all been there: extremely stressed out; beyond over it; unable to professionally, or nicely, address others’ questions and concerns that we deem silly, unnecessary and at times even dumb. Now I know it’s not nice to call anyone or anything dumb, but sometimes it’s the most ftting adjective.

We all get into the routine of thinking and expecting others to automatically know what we know, whether it’s as simple as expecting your spouse to know how to carry out a household chore you typically handle, or expecting the new cashier at the local store to just know how to work the register without any error, or the anticipation that all of the other licensed motorists on the road will simply know, remember, and carryout out all of the written and common sense driving “best practices”.

Just when each one of us settles into that comfort zone of “expecting” what we all UNIQUELY, yet so wholeheartedly, believe SHOULD happen… here He comes, fully prepared to throw the infamous “curveball” we all get hit with when we make assumptions, plans, and expectations that lay solely in His hands.

Allow me to share with you how God reminded me, LOUD AND CLEAR, that He is in control and I am merely along for the ride…

First, I am in a “senior” position within my role at work. I have been successfully and consistently executing the job functions in my current position for over fve years, while fne-tuning my knowledge base within the same company for over 17 years, an accomplishment not shared by many of my fellow “Millennial” peers. I am accomplished and adequately confdent in my abilities to fulfll the requirements of my role, above and beyond expectations. I am also one that prides myself on presenting a very strong, put together, established, and not easily shaken person. After all, I can do anything with the right pair of heels!

For the past eight months my team and I have been dedicated to executing a large project for our company. The project has required the team and I to work with ten or more internal and external teams, totaling well over 100 people, the majority of which have never executed such a project/mission before, although I have, many times.

Fast forward from the “kick off” last July to the recent mind boggling, intensely stressful 12+ hour work days. Each day was flled with multiple simultaneous meetings, redundant and repetitive questions, and countless phone calls, as we approach the launch of this project faster than my southern aunt’s head turned when I suggested boxed Cornbread mix. Everyone is on edge, stressed out, and EVERYONE has a plan for what is going to play out in the next 21 days. I was certain that I couldn’t possibly answer one more “dumb” question. Not one more. I have answered them all time and time again and my patience wore thin months ago.

WHY DON’T THEY JUST GET IT???? WHY don’t they understand? It’s simple. Just use your head and you will get it.

Now, this happens, to all of us, in some degree, every single day; at work, in traffc, at the checkout line. You name it; we have all been there and had the thought, “Why don’t they get it? Why am I the only one that KNOWS the right way?”

Well, I was there. I mean deeply embedded in that “I’m right and know the best way and everyone else should already know…” mentality.

Then it happened.

One day, an ordinary day, I set off to the offce; dressed for my role in Corporate America, hair styled appropriately, makeup perfectly understated. Name-brand bag and caffeine in hand, I climbed into my luxury SUV and headed for the offce where I would undoubtedly slay the day. I would juggle meeting after meeting with executives; I would command the attention as I shared my knowledge and experience in guiding how the next three weeks would play out. I would face any challenge headon and defeat any obstacle in my way.

Except when I didn’t.

That day was rough. I, my knowledge, experience and decisions, were all challenged and questioned by these people that had never done before what I have done so many times. I was irritated, frustrated, and I questioned why this was so diffcult all day long. Despite all of this, I battled through the day and made it to see the end of the last exhausting meeting.

I WAS DONE.

That was it; I had given all I had to give that day. With my frustration and irritation with the fact that my every word seemed to be questioned, I packed up my laptop and notebook and decided to call it a day. Maybe everyone would all come to their senses and agree with me in the morning. With an hour commute home, I stopped in the ladies room on my way out. As I opened the door I realized it was the frst time I had stopped all day. Still writhing with the frustration of having to deal with everyone else’s questions that I had deemed nonsense, I fnished the “mission at hand” and as I was preparing to exit, I looked down to see the tags of my designer work pants staring back at me. Yep, at the end of the day, during which I had spent so much time insisting I was right about everything and was so focused on presenting the image of being so perfectly put together, I sat there and realized my pants were on backwards. They had been all day.

I WASN’T SO PUT TOGETHER AFTER ALL.

Some may have been disappointed in themselves, some may have chuckled, thankful no one noticed, and some may have never even noticed, but I did. I noticed. I did laugh at myself, but I also shared with others. Why? Why would someone ever admit, let alone publish, that they had worn their pants backwards all day in Corporate America? Because I didn’t. I didn’t put my pants on backwards yesterday morning. God did.

GOD PUT MY PANTS ON BACKWARDS.

He did so to remind me to be humble, that I should stop, step back and not judge. He did so to teach me that things aren’t always as they seem. He put my pants on backwards to show me that I have an AMAZING opportunity to teach hundreds of people about the things I already know in our business and that I can use my experiences to lead others to a successful launch of this project. Mostly though, God put my pants on backwards yesterday to teach me to laugh at myself, to not take life so seriously. So…

I HEAR YOU GOD!!

Thank you Lord for putting my pants on backwards to show me that NO ONE is perfect, that no one but You knows all, and for reminding me that just when we think we know exactly what will happen and we try to control that, You are ALWAYS here with us, to teach and lead us in the exact way we need to hear your message. I heard you God and I get.

Emily Jane Gibson has roots in Rabun County but resides in Ohio; She enjoys visiting her family here. Emily is the niece of Laurel publisher Tracy McCoy. When she isn’t wearing heels and carrying a briefcase, she enjoys concerts, camping, boating, DIY projects and relaxing with family and friends. Emily and her husband Chris are Buckeye fans through and through. They have two fur babies, Hunter is an English Bulldog and Lucy is a black Labrador Retriever.