Love your cell phone customer service agent????

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. ... If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?" (Mt 5:43-46)

Have you been given an “opportunity” to be obedient to the command to love not only those who love you- but those who don’t- the difficult people?  How has it gone for you?  I had a great opportunity that REALLY STRETCHED my patience, mouth and that whole bit on being SLOW to anger.(1 Cor 13:4-8)

It was a cell phone carrier- trying to remove a phone from a program.  After 45 minutes of “opportunity” I can truly look back and say it wasn’t my best, but I was trying. Really, in retrospect, the person on the other line probably thought that I was unlovable.  She really did better than I at being patient, kind, etc.!   So, by His grace, I’ll get another opportunity!?!?!   Don’t you think that so often I can deal with difficult people with more grace and love when I realize the grace and love that God has shown me an shows me daily?

Then I think of the story of the unmerciful servant: 

Life is Like Coffee

Here's a bit of Truth, a modern day parable one might say!
               
                     It's more about Life than coffee

 "Life is Like Coffee" 

Click on the coffee cup to see what I mean! 

Holding onto Rubber Bands

There she stood. All three feet of her.  Her little hand tightfisted and hidden from my view.

I was working at the school that day.  This little one, who could be quite precocious, had earned some free time and spent it playing with thin multi-colored rubber bands and a pegboard.  She had proudly hummed, and strummed a bit on her "rubber-band guitar," but now it was time to put it away and head back to class.

Dressed entirely in pink, she could be as charming as she was strong willed. Hesitantly, she put away her creation. It wasn't difficult to see the wheels turning.  Her speed slowing. She was thinking.

SodaJerk

A "SodaJerk"... and that would be listed under....

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10).  

I recently was invited to link into a networking site for professionals. As I began filling out the information and checking boxes I became acutely aware that "SodaJerk" and "Ministry" didn't qualify in the endless list of professional vocations.  Ministry didn't have a listing other than "Religious Institution" and that didn't fit.  And really... I'm not employed to minister.  I'm employed as a server.  A waitress.  I waitress so I can minister. As I scrolled through the listings there really didn't seem to be a professional listing for that! 

As I continued, the option came available to link with my high school, college, & vocational alumni.  I couldn't help but ask myself, "What would they think?"  In the quest for success, how had I done? Would the readers laugh? No title. No desk. No 401k.  I had aspired to make movies with best- and now found myself making malts- for the least of these. I declined to connect.  Nothing seemed to fit.