Behaving Better

I was drawing a picture of a horse on my computer, just goofing off, and taking a break since I had been working all day on my sequel to Joe - the Horse Nobody Loved. While drawing,  I noticed my pen was not calibrated exactly. My brush strokes were slightly off from the pen point. I called Microsoft support to ask them how to recalibrate my pen.

It was clear that the technician knew very little about my machine. He was hesitant, and reading step-by-step instructions from a manual. Now typically, I get quite annoyed by this. I mean, he is supposed to be the expert. But in halting words (English was clearly not his first language,) he said, "If you to excuse me please, I have never done this. Let me please to put you on hold?"
"Sure," I said, good humor bubbling up out of some reservoir that I suspect was filled by the Holy Spirit. (It sure wasn't typical of me...) Frankly, I surprised myself.

After three minutes, he came back on the phone, and talked me through my pen calibration successfully. He was very pleased with himself. And I was pleased with myself. I had not blown my stack.
"Is there anything else I may to help with you?" he asked.
"Well yes... I can't seem to figure out how to put a check box next to my list when I use One Note. I know it is not hard. Can you remind me of how to do that?"
Pause.
"Yes, I would be very happy to help you. If please, to you mind that I put you on hold? I am new to this." (PS- these are not typos...this is how he spoke.)
"I don't mind," I said, "You take your time, and then when you figure it out, you will know it for the next customer."
"Yes...that is right." Nervous laugh.

While I was on hold, I figured how to add the checkbox myself. He came back on the phone.
"I am still working on this, please," he said.
"I figured it out," I told him.
I talked him through it, and he was very excited that it worked.
"And if you please," he said, "Can you tell me how you created a numbered list in the first place?"
"Sure, just right click and a window comes up with a list of options.  A numbered list is one of the options. Click on that, and a list will automatically form."
He tried it.
"That is great!" he said, "Thank you so much for helping me."
"Not a problem."
"And thank you for calling Microsoft. Is there anything else I may please to assist you with?"
I smiled and told him that was all for now.

I learned something very important. First, all of us are new at our jobs at some point in our life. It behooves all of us to remember that when we are interacting with others. I don't remember it nearly as often as I should. Secondly, getting mad and upset, my first knee-jerk response, doesn't make me feel nearly as good as I felt after helping the expert I had called to help me. I am NO saint, a fact my family will readily attest to. But boy, it feels good to behave like one.
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Ephesians 4:32 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29-32 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

John 15:12 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Luke 6:31 

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.