A J-BAR PRAYER
Father, we come before you now on bended knee, hoping to honor you with our integrity. Please make our judgement as sound as steel and be our hands upon the wheel. Give us strength and vigilance on our routes and help us to serve others, as You did, Lord, without any doubts. Remind us to be gentle, humble and kind, and help us when we stumble in body and mind. Please shelter our families whilst we are away and bring us safely back to them at the end of this day.
J.B.A.R.
What, when and how we do the things that we do determine a large portion of our safety. If we prepare well, pay attention to all of the “minor” details, stick with our normal operating procedures and use our heads, we can eliminate almost all of our safety issues. “Research has shown that over 99 Percent of all workplace accidents are preventable. If you think accidents just happen, then what allows you to drive down the road, walk down the sidewalk or even live in your home without great fear?” (EHS Today) “Fate is the hunter for those least prepared.” (Ernest K. Gann) The truth is that if you prepare well, think about what you are doing, stay alert and make sound decisions, almost all accidents can be prevented – (Matthew 7:24-27) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
There are also, in this imperfect world, plenty of pitfalls and problems that arise which we have little or no control over – that 1% does seem to still create problems for many of us. We are all cognizant of the epidemic that has swept our world, COVID 19 (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Mu or Omicron?). We know that good hygiene and social distancing are two of our best weapons to combat the infection. We have measures in place and more on the way to help us all stay safe and healthy. We know that Just Being Aware and Responsible is not just a Core Principle of our Company, but that it is our duty to our fellow humans and ourselves — so, there are obviously some things that we have no control over. There isn’t much that can be done if you do everything possible to prepare, are aware and acting responsible and a freak accident occurs (SETCO). The good news is that the Bible covers those as well:
(2 Timothy 4:18) “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Proverbs 11:14) “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 19:23) “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” (Matthew 10:16) “Behold, I am sending you our as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
If you or your family or loved ones have a need that you feel you can’t fulfill, please let us know so we can help. If your supplies are low and you need some, please talk with a Supervisor or with a member of Management and your needs will be met to the best of our abilities. Try to remember that you can only control your own sphere of influence and that the rest is up to God. We live by God’s grace. You all are not just coworkers to me. I love you all as my brothers and sisters and as my friends. Please don’t despair. If I can be of service, you need only ask.
We are J-Bar — we are blessed beyond measure. We love — we are thankful beyond measure. We serve, and in so doing become the leaders that God wants us to be.