Week One is Over

It started, well I don’t know exactly when it started, I guess when I took this job about five and a half years ago. But it culminated last Sunday/Monday (note those are my two days off) when we did the final database migration. We moved our entire church database (about 80,000 records or so) from an Oracle platform to a MySQL database platform, and that is as techie as I will get about that.

We took down the old system Sunday after everyone had left church and we were up and running on the new database platform by Monday morning. That’s when it all started. All the phone calls and emails and questions. I think I got more calls and emails this week from staff then I have in all the time I have been there. We birthed a new era for VCC, and the birthing pains have been going on for over a year.

The major I-am-dead-in-the-water-and-can’t-work, this-is-totally-unacceptable, fires have been put out, but there are still many bugs that are as big as my house yet to taken down.

True confession...I did have a couple of meltdowns (two, I think). Luckily no one actually saw them, but I am wondering how I came across to everyone. (This is a public apology to you if you were one of those who came close to my meltdown office at the wrong time, I am sorry.) It was a very interesting lesson in how I handle stress. I admit I learned something about myself through it all.

I am so fortunate that I work in a place that extends a lot of grace. (Lord knows I needed it, and I got it.) There were lots of frustrations, but it is over now. In the end I received a thank you (probably for not totally blowing up at anyone) that was far more than I deserved.

Everyone has their ‘seasons’ of work overload and stress at this place. I was just waddling through my ‘season’; it was my turn in the hot seat. The thanks, praise, (and yes) gifts I received humbled me more than they know.

When it was brought to me, I immediately realized that it was my peeps (my VUG) loving on me, and I was really kind of embarrassed about the whole thing. So embarrassed that I didn't even open the card for a long time. I kind of wanted to cry. I hate attention, and this was attention to the max. For the record I didn’t do anything more than anyone else at VCC would have done. Everyone works hard.

Tomorrow I am taking the day off (I get to spend it with my 100 year old grandma), but Sunday it may be back to testing again. All I can say at this point is, God thank you for this wonderful job, and the wonderful peeps I work with and for, you are so good to me.