...me

Mandy was determined to make my life miserable.  Unfortunately, our relationship didn't start  out very well.  We both applied for the same supervisory position, which I was offered in the end.   Not only did I get her promotion, I became her new boss.  Her response was to take it out on me.

I had enough to worry about: increased responsibilities, a different office, and a new staff. I needed Mandy's knowledge and experience to keep things running smoothly.  But she did  everything she could to trip me up.  We worked near each other, but Mandy rarely offered help, even when she saw me struggling.  In fact, she whispered behind my back and complained to other staff about me. Despite all that, I tried to smile when she walked toward me. Eventually  though, my smiles melted under the tension I felt when she entered the room. 

   

About a month into my new job, I fumed to God on the way to work.  I informed Him how urgent  it was that He fix Mandy, and now!  I filled Him in on how rude, disrespectful, maligning and  destructive she was. My complaining prayers when on and on.  

But somewhere between my ranting and raging, God whispered into my ear, Pray for her.  I caught my breath, confused. I told God how absurd it was to pray for her and proceeded to explain how, based on her behavior, she didn't deserve my prayers. Anyway, I couldn't think of a single thing to pray about..

  

Still, I couldn't get that phrase, Pray for her,  out of my head. 

God kept nudging me to pray for Mandy, but I resisted.  However, I managed to complain about  her to my husband and anyone else who would listen. Eventually my stomach tied in knots when  I was around her.  I was beginning to dread my new job.  Finally, with no affection whatsoever, I gave in and prayed.  It was hard to know quite where to start, so I began by praying about her temper, then her attitude, and then her work ethic.  After I got all that behind me, something  surprising happened.  Instead of feeling justified, I felt warmer to her.

I kept praying for Mandy and my prayers seemed to lift my shield of resentment toward her. I also   saw her with new eyes.  I saw how lonely she looked after a phone call from her mom and how  insecure she appeared when learning a new task.  I observed how loyal she was to our customers  and how much they enjoyed her jokes.  I notice how tired she looked in the mornings and that her   hands trembled while talking with me.  With these new observations, I became more aware of how

to pray for her. and my prayers increased.

Eventually my payers spilled out into how I treated her.  I affirmed her good customer service and   gave her a flower one day to thank her. It became easier to smile sincerely when she entered the   room.  I even cross-trained Mandy in my job.  She grew more indispensable and confident.

Months later, after a particularly good day, I thanked God for all the work He had done in Mandy. Obviously, my prayers had made a big difference in her, because things were going so well. But as

soon as I said it, I heard that now familiar whisper, Mandy wasn't the only one who changed!

Phillippians 2:13: "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

God not only shows us what we should do but works to give us the desire to do it as well.

Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

-deborah genskow