The Diary of a Mad Nice Man

I'm a nice guy. REALLY! Those who know me casually and those who know me best would vouch for me on this one. But even a nice guy can be pushed to the limits. What's with merchants and organizations that make them think they can run over the typical "nice guy"? This week has been contaminated with a couple of instances that have proven this very truth again to me. One business in particular that I have ordered a product installation at my home has put me off three times now... The owner of the company told me that there would be a 5 day turn around after giving him the $800.00 deposit for the work to be done. Well, three weeks and a half dozen excuses later, the waiting has continued...until yesterday. I called them when they didn't show up, and after hearing that they couldn't make it due to a series of "roadblocks", their incompetence and my frustration brought the talk that I rarely give.
I'm a nice guy for more than one reason: I was raised to be one; it's part of my personality; I'm endeavoring to follow Christ with my life. The last of the three is the biggest. Christ taught the godly characteristic of meekness, living with a sense of humility and non-assumption. But meekness is not weakness. And, nice should never mean naive! Christ also taught stewardship... And, what has been entrusted to us, be it relationships or possessions, must be protected under the conviction that we will be held accountable. (OK, I'm not trying to over-spiritualize here...)
Here's the point: You can maintain a level of congeniality without loosing your common sense. Being a good steward demands a level of responsibility that trumps casual conversation. Take care of business, stating your expectations while kindly getting your point across and not becoming outrageously angry. It's amazing that when we kindly "hold their feet to the fire", projects can actually get done. Think about it... By the way, I've given the company that I mentioned earlier one more time to get it right, and then I'm moving on...with my deposit.