Plentiful Harvest

I work in an environment where I deal with hundreds of people from various socio-economic, racial and cultural backgrounds. I remember when I first became interested in applying for the position I am currently holding. After I prayed and asked God for this specific position, I felt such a great sense of peace and joy. The position was promotional for the in-house staff and open to the public. I knew that the competition would be though. But God was on my side. We had to take a written exam and participate in an interview process with at least three people before placement on a qualifying list.

As I enter the testing room that day and looked at all the other applicants, I felt like I was on cloud nine. I knew that I could pass the written exam. However I felt anxious about the first interview process. Only the first three high scoring people will be allowed to go to the final interview with another panel of at least three people before being offered the position. As a foreigner speaking English as a second language, my chances were slim humanly speaking because my competitors were native. But I knew that God has given me favor and that I was in his perfect and loving care. That was at least ten years ago.

What do I have to recount now? With my being in this environment these past few years, I found myself having to deal with young kids fresh from high school, displaced homemakers, adults returning to school for retraining in hope of a new career, ex-felons looking for a new life, ex-addicts and prostitutes looking for acceptance and a future, and students taking classes for leisure. Most of all I found myself mingling with a multi cultural and diverse group of people from all aspects of life, all ages, all races, all languages and all socio-economic backgrounds. I found myself dealing with people with multiple interests and various learning styles.

Moreover, I found out that people would look for ways to take advantage, act rudely and disrespect me if I would allow them. I found out that not everyone would love and accept me. I found out that I can not please everyone. I found out that there are people I can not reach no matter what I do and how hard I try. I found out that I should not worry when being criticized. I found out that living the love life is not easy, and that it is a choice of the will to learn to love and accept people the way they are. I found out that only God's love spread in my heart and being manifested in and through me towards others will allow for the opportunity to experience fully the various aspects of the love walk outlined in 1 Corinthians 13.

As I meet and work with the people regularly, I found myself exposed to an array of human issues and brokenness that can be so overwhelming. I wonder at times at how Jesus may feel and how burdened with compassion he may be for his lost creation, especially the ones that still deny him or do not know him. It seems that I found myself at times becoming a mother to all who would come to me. I became the listening ears to the complainers, the hurting, the unsatisfied, the lost, and the disappointed. I became the loving arms to the lonely, the unloved, the unhappy. I became the hands that wipes away tears when a family is in crisis, when couples and lovers are being separated, when physical and emotional abuse are raging their ugly heads, when children are ill, when financial difficulties bring oppressions and burdens the mind, when illnesses and death bring hopelessness, and when scholastic failures happen because of inaptitude, bad study habits or a combination of all the above issues.

Since I couldn't reach them all nor do much to help anyways, I found myself learning the Word of God more avidly so I can speak it to the ones -- believers or not -- who would listen on how to apply it in order to trust the living God in various circumstances of their lives. I at times have to answer to the hope that is in me to atheists, backsliding Christians, and people from other faith such as: Muslims, Buddhism, Hinduism, witchcraft worshipper, and Judaism. I know that learning what God says and expressing his message to his creation in my own way will calm the soul and bring hope.

I am acutely aware that God has placed me in this environment not only to earn a living but for a greater purpose. To most of these people I may be the only representative of God on earth and the only Jesus they will encounter as they go through their specific circumstances at this moment in their lives. Since Father is allowing me to learn more and more everyday and to understand that faith works through love, I will continue to speak the Word to all people in the many circumstances that he will present to me. Through it all I am still learning to practice the love walk, by staying focus and true to myself while serving his people lovingly.

To be politically correct I may be in the wrong environment to practice the “healing of the soul” counseling as I call it. But knowing that the earth and everything in it is the Lord, and at this stage in my life, I adopted the same mindset as Paul, when dealing with hurting souls, and say: “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice” (Philippians 1:18). My question for you is: How do you feel about your love walk and your assignment on this earth at being an ambassador for God in your own work environment?

Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it! (Luke 11:28)

Marie Monaus