About a month ago my stress mounted to the point where I was ready to either quit or transfer. I opted for the latter, and put in an official request for transfer. One of the triggers was a colleague who, oddly enough, is named after the archangel.
He came into the teachers' room on Good Friday complaining (not unusual) and ready to provoke someone as much as he could (also not unusual). This time his comments were clearly named at me, the only Christian working there. He said something to the effect of, "Who in here is going to church on Easter? It's pointless. The stuff in the Bible is too crazy to believe." I replied simply, "Truth is stranger than fiction." To which he replied, "That's some pretty strange fiction." With nothing else worth saying coming to mind, I said, "IT'S TRUE!" To which he says, "No, it isn't."
Then another co-worker chimed in (one who told me once with every bit of seriousness that NO problem in her life involving people was ever HER fault but always someone else's). The two, who actually don't even like each other, then went and sat at a table nearby discussing why they think Christianity makes no sense, while I sat alone trying to keep myself from crying.
This isn't the first time the archangel has said or done something offensive to me, though he does it far less often to me than others. But this time I should've been expecting it--I'd just gotten back into reading my Bible semi-regularly & was totally on fire that morning, only to be smothered by the slightest provocation.
"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"
I Corinthians 10:12
Despite past and present provocations, I've been trying extra hard to be nice to him. My Sunday School teacher told me to love my enemies, after all. Though when I was a child I admittedly did that because of the heaping burning coals on their head part (Romans 12:20)! "That's way worse than anything I could do to them," I thought with an evil grin. I only looked sweet and innocent...
Last week the archangel told me he wanted to give me some popcorn (my favorite food). I said that'd be great. Then today he said he'd forgotten to bring it but that he was going to, "Not because I'm nice or anything--I don't want you to get the wrong idea. It's just because you've been nice to me that I'm doing this." And then he went on to lecture me as to the benefits of not being nice, yet that even though bikers appear mean they are in actuality very nice because they organize Toys for Tots--did I mention the archangel really likes talking?
Please pray that God softens the archangel's heart & that we get a Pauline conversion. Imagine what that could do to my workplace & its low morale--a guy who's worked there for over ten years changing to the glory of God!
Please pray I listen to the Holy Spirit and let Him speak for me. Please pray He gives me added strength when I'm at work, as I've decided not to transfer after all.
PS: a coworker who has been particularly affected by the archangel's fury said he didn't want me to leave because I'd been "a light." Praise God! Let's hope and pray each person there receives that Light, too.
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