The Priming Booth

    I have worked for Select Finishing for almost a year and a half. The majority of that time I have spent in the sanding booth and have become a proficient sander and have been blessed with my supervisor's respect, trust, and listening ear. She has assigned me a handful of people to train, and if she brings me a part to sand that is not worth my time and energy, she respects my answer and moves on. Life is pretty good in the sanding booth.

    Over the last month or so, I have been helping out in the primer booth and priming parts. The first step in the painting process for the body parts of the Spyder Bike we make.

    Up until recently, all I knew about priming was how to spray the paint on the part. I knew nothing about cleaning my primer gun at the end of my shift or any other steps in the clean-up process. Let alone the setup process. It wasn't bothering anyone, and I did not spend a lot of time there, so I gave it very little thought. Of course, the day came when it mattered, and boy, what a bad day that was. To make matters worse, my anxiety was also acting up, so not only was my stress acting up and I was compensating to the best of my ability, but my primer gun hadn't been properly set up, which caused a whole host of problems of its own which gave me even more anxiety. You can imagine how happy I was to get out of there at the end of the day and did not want to go near the booth for a day or two afterward. Thankfully the gun problems were resolved, and I have since learned what the problem was and how to set it up properly. It then occurred to my sanding supervisor that I did not have a clue about the technical side of priming and that it was time to fix that. Especially now that I spent a chunk of time in the priming booth. One minute I'm a full-time sander, and the next minute I am spending half my day in primer (the main primer is on light duties currently and can only prime for half the day). At first, I was unimpressed and thought, "God, I was happy in "my" sanding booth. Please put me back there." But God in infinite wisdom knew I had some growing to do, and the priming booth was where I was going to learn the lesson He had for me. You see, I like to be in control and do not like relying on others for anything. In the sanding booth, I am "in control." I know what to do, and if a problem arises, I know how to solve it or where to find the people who will solve it for me. In the priming booth, I'm not "in control" because until two weeks ago, I only knew how to spray the primer on the part and had no clue how to troubleshoot anything. Which stressed me out. Of course, this is the part where God started working on me. First, I mastered the clean-up process at the end of the day. Then I started learning how to troubleshoot problems and where to find the right people who would fix my problems and that not only do I have to rely on others in this department, but by the grace of God, I can rely on them.

    And finally, I am learning about the setup process and how to set myself up for success.

    It's funny, at first I was "kicking and screaming" to be left alone in the sanding booth, and now I enjoy the priming booth. Because I got on board when God said it was time to grow out of my comfort zone and deal with my control problems at work. The "funnies" part about all this is that I did not think I had control problems at work. I thought that they only came to life in my personal life. But as usual, God knows better and that is why He is God, and I am not. Please don't hear that as bragging. I have simply learned that when God says it's time to grow and learn something new, the sooner you get on board, the easier it gets. Believe me, God has dragged me kicking and screaming a few times and has metaphorically smacked up upside the head a time or two before I got on board. Now I get on board a whole lot sooner because I know He will win either way, so why bother fighting Him.

    Anyways, one of the pleasant side effects of priming so much is that I'm in the booth all alone with my music, podcasts, and God. Which was also part of God's plan for me. To get me quieter with Him and work on other things that needed attending to, like my at-work control problem I didn't know I had.

    God works in mysterious ways friends, and I would never imagine that He would teach me to "give up" and navigate my control issues through a priming booth.

    It has been a few more weeks of hanging out in the priming booth. I have spent almost all my time priming in the last two weeks. I haven't listened to much music or podcasts in the last two weeks, I now spend that time in prayer. The priming booth has become my "prayer closet" and whenever I am told that I am needed in priming, I now ask, "Okay God, what are we working on/walking about today." 

    This past Monday I said to God, "Please take me out of the primer booth and back into the sanding booth (my comfort zone). God responded with, "You don't grow in your comfort zone." I then responded with my arms crossed, huffed and said, "Fine." Right before this conversation with the Holy Spirit, I was trying to figure out why I still did not "love" the priming booth and why I would rather be sanding. Despite actually enjoying priming. Then this conversation took place, and I realized that the booth represents change, and I don't like change. I love the side effects of positive change, but who wants to go through the mess of change? Not me. Even when it is for my good and His glory.

    Thank you for joining me on my journey of becoming the woman God created me to be. I pray this blesses and encourages you on your walk with Christ.

God Bless

~Hannah

A beautiful winter sunrise.