Craziness Can Be Validating Too

Interesting couple of days.

It has been an extremely busy week at work. I'm talking crazy making busy. Strangely, people are starting to request to deal with me when they arrive because I'm the one who answers the phone and who they've already talked to. That is kind of cool, but I'm also not licensed and cannot help them with many, if not most of the things they come to us for.
This week there were multiple times that the funeral director and I were each assisting a family and we had at least one other family waiting for something. And then the phone. Good gracious that phone never seemed to stop ringing this week. Crazy making I tell you!
While Friday had the same sort of pace to it, it had a couple of moments, for me, that put it into perspective and reminded me why I wanted to take on this job.
We handled things for a family who's loved one passed very early Wednesday morning. They came in to make arrangements just before lunch. About 4 pm they called asking if they could pick up the cremated remains on Friday morning so they could have the burial on Saturday morning. YIKES!
I told them I could in no way promise that. Our process is that I have to have the information for my portion of the death certificate in order to contact medical personnel for the cause of death. These folks have 24-48 hours to get back to me with that. Then I can input it all into the government system and request the medical examiner review it and issue a cremation permit. None of these entities are 24/7 operations and I didn't get my information to even start until after lunch on Wednesday. The best I could offer was to try, but no promise what-so-ever.
Well, for once, every little piece just fell into place. I still don't know how but everyone came in way ahead of their time allotment. The family kept calling and asking if there was someone they could contact. No, not really. Then late in the day Thursday, the permit came in. We called the crematory and they graciously came out at the end of the day to get that part started. The family call came in (again) about 4:45, just before I was leaving for the day. And I reported that their loved one would be back to us and ready for them to pick up after noon on Friday. That poor woman started crying on the phone she was so relieved.
I'm not sure why the scheduled the burial for Saturday, but they did. I have NO idea how things fell into place like that but they did as well. I came in Friday morning and found 2 emails from them telling me what a blessing I was to their family and how grateful they were for all I did. (I just got lucky with that one is all) Then when they came in to pick up, I got huge hugs from all of them and was told that God put me right where I needed to be for them and for other families in that situation and that dealing with me during that time was so calming and made them feel so much more at ease.
What an amazing thing to say to someone. And how humbling to hear, but confirming too at the end of such a crazy week when yet again, I was questioning whether I had taken on more than I should have in this job.
Then today, I stopped at our parent company at the invitation of my counterpart there who was working. She gave me a tour of their behind the scenes areas and we were chatting. and she told me that while he would never tell me, the owner is extremely happy with me and my performance and she thought I should know that.
Thank you Lord for giving me that reassurance I needed after my week of insecurity. Silly me for questioning You for placing this position in my path and my ability to live up to what I wished to be for YOU, and for the families we serve, and, if I'm honest, for myself as well.

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