chuck smith, c.s.s.

occasionally I hear things about how poorly things are proceeding at lightway.com. i've heard the departments are understaffed, morale is low and a number of people are moving onto greener pastures.

however, since i am no longer a part of that particular flock, i am in no position to judge. to paraphrase st. paul, what business is it of mine to judge those outside my company? but, i do have a responsibility to judge those inside my company and that is a task I take very seriously.

i was reminded of my divine responsibility last week when i told kerrie, our office's administrative assistant, that our fax machine was short on toner. since my department constantly uses the fax to correspond with customers and various shipping agents, the effective maintenance of the machine is of utmost importance. i have provided an abbreviated transcript of our conversation below in hopes that it will help you judge properly within your particular professional context.

chuck smith, c.s.s.: "hi kerrie, i'm glad you finally got back from lunch. the fax machine is short on toner. if you could replace that as soon as possible, i'd really appreciate it."

kerrie: "oh, it's short on toner, again? chuck, let me show you where i keep the toner, so that you can replace it in the future."

chuck smith, c.s.s.: "i'm sorry kerrie. i didn't know that your job was so demanding that you needed to start delegating your responsibilities. don't take this the wrong way, but perhaps if you cut down on your personal calls and potty breaks you could actually complete your assigned tasks. i'd love to help you with the toner, but i've got more significant things to do."

kerrie: "you are an absolute jerk. who made you God around here?"

chuck smith: "careful there, kerrie. i'm not God, only his humble servant. if you stop moving your mouth and start using your brain, you'll find your tasks much easier to fulfill. thank you in advance for taking care of this."

i hope that those of you who shy away from conflict and find it hard to apply the principles of the faith at work find this helpful. remember that a properly ordered workplace pleases God!