It’s May – that whimsical time of year when we were allowed to start going barefoot each year back when I was growing up. Our parents told us that was the rule until we started paying our own medical bills, and then we could go barefoot whenever we wanted. There’s probably not many adults who were as excited as I was to start forking money over to the doctors, but hey, going barefoot at my leisure is worth a hefty price.

Nowadays, May is categorized by more than rain turning the world from pastels to vibrant greens and my feet finally being free from the confines of shoes. I work at an attraction where many people spend time on vacation, so there’s a definite ebb and flow to the guest count each month. We have Buss Season, Christmas Season, Slow Season, Spring Break Season, Summer Season, and a dozen smaller elements to the rhythm thrown in there. And, each season brings its own set of normalcies, adventures, and challenges.

In May we do a lot of hiring which means my days include interviews, meeting new people, and assisting with training. For instance, this Tuesday I have three interviews scheduled for the afternoon. We take turns hiring for each other and I generally look forward to interviews, although sometimes they can be difficult, especially if I know someone won’t be a good fit for the team.

I’ve been told by my teammates that I have the reputation of being super strict, and although they affirm they’ve learned that isn’t the case, they still like to perpetuate the image. For my part, I don’t really care how I’m perceived by the vast majority of the people, as long as those who I work with on a regular basis know that I care and strive each day to be Christlike and a servant leader. Being seen as fun but productive would be a plus, but not necessary.

My team works hard – super hard – and that’s something I am really thankful for, and also want to celebrate. For instance, last week we celebrated the completion of a big project by getting Chipotle for everyone then reserving the Board Room for a 2:30 lunch (because we were too busy before then). We ate, hung out, and even had the Director (my boss) and VP (his boss) join us for a while and we got to talk about shenanigans in the workplace which makes everything better. (Some of our best shenanigans to date were filling my boss’s office with 600 plus balloons, putting 200 googly eyes everywhere, and turning a 3,000 piece set of plastic army men into an epic battle. We’ve got bigger and better plans for the future.)

Last Sunday half my team and some plus-ones headed to Red River Gorge which is two hours away and spent the day hiking and hanging out together. The day was filled with thunderstorms, great conversations about the End Times and marriage, soaking wet clothes, lunchmeat picnics in a musty bus, rocky hikes, and beautiful pictures.

As days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, I find myself at the cusp of being in my current position at work for nearly a year. I was talking with my sister on the phone the other day and she asked me if I still liked my job. My answer was a resounding Yes! Is the job what I imagined it would be? No, not really. It’s a lot more – a lot more good, a lot more bad, a lot more of me having to learn and grow and change expectations on a regular basis.

My job is full of me learning and growing and begging God to help me be more like Him because it’s impossible to do it on my own and I want to exhibit His grace and love on a daily basis. Probably what’s surprised me most about my job is how emotionally tiring it is. I didn’t know how much I’d give, how much I’d listen, and how sometimes I’d feel completely unprepared, and other times I’d leave a conversation wondering how they couldn’t see what was right in front of them.

It’s 7:41 on a Monday and I’m about to head to work. I’m listening to the Sight & Sound David soundtrack, watching the rain drift down outside my open front door, and feeling the breeze of a cool May day. My morning started at 6:00 and was spent reading the Bible, praying, going through a Bible Study book about the End Times, and reading Didn’t See It Coming by Carey Nieuwhof. Lord willing, I’ll do a quick 10 minute workout, grab what I need for work, and arrive in time to get a couple of things taken care of before heading to a quarterly all-day management meeting.

This is my life, and for that I’m very thankful.