Don’t really know her, she’s kinda weird… You want me to love her? WHY???

There is this new girl at work that seems a little bit weird. She is quiet and stand-offish most of the time, but gets really defensive when we try to give her pointers for work. We are trying to help, but she isn’t very receptive of that. People sometimes talk about the strange things that she does and no one can find any logical reason for some of them.

But, I’m starting to learn about her a little. It turns out that she kept running late because she thought we didn’t like her. It also turns out that it’s mostly our fault that she felt that way.

Before she even started in our office, we heard she had a “history” at her old office. We never really knew what it was, but we managed to place a little bit of judgment on her because of it. Then after she got here, she didn’t seem to pick up the job very quickly. We started to wonder about her.

Then, she started showing her little quirks. The judgments started to grow. We started thinking she was getting even weirder. It seemed like she was forgetting about some of the tasks that she was just given and her time management was not so great. Then we noticed she seemed to be gathering publicly available snacks and keeping them at her workstation to eat later on. All these things really aren’t necessarily that strange singly, but altogether they started to add up.

We didn’t really treat her differently when she was present, but when she left the room, the comments would flare. She didn’t really talk to us much so we didn’t talk to her much, either. Strangely, you can get a feel for the mood of a room when you walk in so I think she started to sense it.

To me, it seems like if a person doesn’t want to talk to others, they probably don’t want others to bother them… Apparently, that’s not always the case. Some people are timid and unsure. They are actually nervous about making the first move in conversation. That leaves it to the others to try and make the newcomer feel welcome… which we did not do for her.

People like this new girl can be hard to deal with, however, we need to remember that they are not ours to deal with, but the Lord’s. They way we approach these types of situations tests our faith in God and places our witness on display for others. The things we do as Christians (people saved by the grace of God because they have accepted that Jesus actually came here and died for our sins, paying the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf to God) should reflect an image of Christ.

Now, do you think the Christ would shun the weird people and talk about them behind their back? I’m thinking not… mostly because of the examples listed throughout the Bible about how Jesus often spoke to and healed the outcasts of various communities.

So, why can’t we at least be nice to people we don’t even know? Why is there a stigma that causes us to automatically dislike the unfamiliar? We should be open and loving, as God has commanded us to be… “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” –Luke 6:36

We basically need to get over ourselves and reach out to those we don’t even know, and to those we know and don’t like. We are also commanded to love our enemies… “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” –Matthew 5:44-48

So… about this new girl… Well, it turns out that she has some things that she struggles with in her own life that contribute to her actions. Now that I’ve been obedient to the Lord and quit pushing the new girl completely away, I am beginning to learn that she needs prayer from others. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t just gone on the flip-side and over done the friendship thing (it’s a process), and she hasn’t asked me for prayer, but God has shown me where to start. For now, I will just pray for the things that she struggles with and ask the Lord to clear the path for her growth, as well as for the office environment to change so that she will feel more comfortable here. I am also trying to set an example by having small friendly conversations instead of just ignoring the fact that she sits about 3 feet away from me every day.

Considering that we spend most of our day at our jobs, we all have the right to be comfortable and enjoy the people that we have to spend so much of our lives with. And… if I only live for God outside of work, how much time does that actually come out to? That is 24% less time (in hours per year) that I wouldn't be living for God. But, consider this, as well… Most people do more than just sit at their desk at their jobs. Most people communicate with the people that they work with. In my department, there are over 300 employees housed at one location alone.That means I have over 300 people that see or talk to me on a daily basis.

This means that if I am not working for God during my daily business hours, I am not working for God... let’s see… 24% times 300 = 7200%! (That’s not 24% OF 300, it’s 24% TIMES 300.) That means that 300 or more people would not have a clue that I am a representative for Christ if I can’t show them during the work day. That’s a lot of percent that I would be screwing up just by not acting like a Christian while I am at my office. In the end, I intend for that percentage of screw-up to be 0… I’m just sayin.

So, here is where I start: being polite, saying hello, making small talk, and NOT ignoring her. It will progress in God’s timing and I pray that he uses me to get to her. She can be opinionated, so I think she will make a great asset to God’s army in the long run.  :-)