Week 3 | Day 5 | Sandpaper People

Command:

Pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44 (NIV)

Read:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)

Reflect:

I was once hired on the spot as a paralegal at a mid-size law firm. Not too long after that, the executive assistant to the principal owner resigned. To my surprise, I was offered her position. There were several staff members who’d worked at the firm longer than I had. Needless to say, my accepting the position caused a bit of a ruckus. The office manager was none-too-happy.

Lines were drawn. People stopped inviting me to lunch, more work was passed on to me, and gossip about me was rampant. One day, all hell broke loose. I shared some ideas with someone about how the workflow could be distributed so that deadlines can be met and staff can be cross-trained in other areas. The office manager got word of it and flipped her lid. She called me to her office and began screaming at me, accusing me of gunning for the position ever since I was hired. Untrue.

Everyone could see her demeanor and mine. She was flailing her arms, face red as a beet. I was calmly seated, head tilted, mouth zipped, taking the abuse. I don’t know how I did it, but I refused to respond in kind. All the while, I was praying first for her tirade to be over and second that she wouldn’t suffer a heart attack for being so upset! 

It was not the last of such demeaning episodes. It was challenging to remain in that environment. I kept working and engaging the staff with as much grace as possible. Slowly but surely, the office manager began to see that I was not competing with anyone and could actually be a good friend. While we didn’t become besties, I became her confidant, sharing the load with her. All she needed was a little grace. 

React:

Is there someone in your circle that’s like sandpaper and hard to love? How can you show grace to that person this week?

Pray:

Father, I know that it is by your grace alone that I am able to respond in love. Keep me focused on loving with grace.