Our Stories
At Work Last Week
By Debbie Hancock | posted 03/29/2007
“Jesus said: “Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”” (Luke 11:2-4 The Message Remix 2.0)
At work last week a co-worker told me her granddaughter drank Drano and kerosene because her boyfriend slept with another girl. Another co-worker didn’t show up for work one day. None of us knew where she was. When she came in she told me her mom had taken her money to buy “crack” cocaine. She didn’t have any gas in her car, and no money, so she couldn’t get to work.
I work in Redmond. There is life in all its pain and ugliness happening all around me. It breaks my heart to hear and see these things. Sometimes I wonder what I can do when my co-workers confide in me about these things. I have not had crisis management training. I don’t have a degree in psychology. My “I don’ts” flow like a river sometimes.
In my life I have often focused on things I can’t do, or resources I don’t have. I have missed opportunities because of my focus on those things. God is showing me that it is in those times that He is close. When I can’t, He can. It is an opportunity to ask Him to give me the words to pray when I don’t know how to pray. An opportunity to ask Him for provision and resources. An opportunity for Him to reveal who He is.
My confidence in Him comes from all the times He has met me in the difficult, hard times in my life. My confidence in who He is comes from His Word and the stories of my brothers and sisters in Christ who have come through much.
Every day is full of opportunity for my heart to be broken by what breaks God’s heart. When my heart breaks, it hurts. It is uncomfortable. It’s the place where He is light in the darkness, where there is provision for all we need. The place where intimacy and relationship are restored. Where there is mercy and forgiveness, deliverance and wholeness. It’s the place where His power flows like a river. His Kingdom come. I want to live there.
Last week I did what I could do. I offered a shoulder to cry on, ears to listen and a prayer in the name of the One whose heart is broken by the pain and ugliness of life, Jesus. The One who can save us from ourselves and the Devil.
Debbie
To respond to this message, email Debbie at djh_is@yahoo.com.
|
“Jesus said: “Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”” (Luke 11:2-4 The Message Remix 2.0)
At work last week a co-worker told me her granddaughter drank Drano and kerosene because her boyfriend slept with another girl. Another co-worker didn’t show up for work one day. None of us knew where she was. When she came in she told me her mom had taken her money to buy “crack” cocaine. She didn’t have any gas in her car, and no money, so she couldn’t get to work. I work in Redmond. There is life in all its pain and ugliness happening all around me. It breaks my heart to hear and see these things. Sometimes I wonder what I can do when my co-workers confide in me about these things. I have not had crisis management training. I don’t have a degree in psychology. My “I don’ts” flow like a river sometimes. In my life I have often focused on things I can’t do, or resources I don’t have. I have missed opportunities because of my focus on those things. God is showing me that it is in those times that He is close. When I can’t, He can. It is an opportunity to ask Him to give me the words to pray when I don’t know how to pray. An opportunity to ask Him for provision and resources. An opportunity for Him to reveal who He is. My confidence in Him comes from all the times He has met me in the difficult, hard times in my life. My confidence in who He is comes from His Word and the stories of my brothers and sisters in Christ who have come through much. Every day is full of opportunity for my heart to be broken by what breaks God’s heart. When my heart breaks, it hurts. It is uncomfortable. It’s the place where He is light in the darkness, where there is provision for all we need. The place where intimacy and relationship are restored. Where there is mercy and forgiveness, deliverance and wholeness. It’s the place where His power flows like a river. His Kingdom come. I want to live there. Last week I did what I could do. I offered a shoulder to cry on, ears to listen and a prayer in the name of the One whose heart is broken by the pain and ugliness of life, Jesus. The One who can save us from ourselves and the Devil. Debbie To respond to this message, email Debbie at djh_is@yahoo.com. |
