SANDPAPER

SANDPAPER.

One night during Bible Study we were discussing how there are some people in our lives that are just sandpaper.  They sand away on us until they make us raw.  We ALL have them....

Well......there are several sandpapers in my life, but right now the sandpaper that rubs me raw is a co-worker.....or should I say, another person that draws a check where I work.  (I can't even call her a co-worker.....) 

Anyway.....I started January determined that I was going to stay POSITIVE and I was going to avoid negative people who pull me down.

No matter how hard I tried.....this "sandpaper" is everywhere. .....sanding away.
 It doesn't help that my sandpaper is causing disgruntlement throughout the school that I work in.  Everyone is talking and complaining....................even our bosses are at their rope's end.
She is the person that "the rules do not apply to"......"it is never her fault"....and she spends all her time trying to figure out how to get out of work and how to get rid of her students................................and she is many times successful.

I must confess.................I have been guilty of complaining and getting upset to the point that it even affects my ability to do my job.  I have been guilty of stretching the POSITIVE thing................by saying..........I'm POSITIVE She is lazy.................I'm POSITIVE she is driving me crazy....etc.

• I have PRAYED for her.
• I have prayed that she would not rub me raw.
• I have prayed for my attitude to change.....

Well yesterday afternoon, while discussing the unfortunate situation with several of my co-worker..........it just hit me.........

I looked at my co-workers and I said...............

"WAIT.....us getting upset is not changing anything and it is not hurting anyone but US.  It is keeping us all upset and bent out of shape....and putting us all in bad moods."

I told them that "this person" claims to be a Christian....so if she is.........................she will one day get her just reward.  You can not continue to lie, manipulate and do wrong without it coming back to you.

AND.....in the meantime, we are allowing SATAN to do EXACTLY what he has set out to do......................................Satan is using this "weak co-worker" to keep all of us upset, discouraged and even angry...............................because as long as we have those feelings.....God is not getting the glory.

WOW......that just came out of nowhere.....and oh, it spoke to my heart.  My co-workers all agreed..............they had not looked at it in that way....................Satan was using the situation to hinder even our walk with Christ.

Talk about praying.........................I prayed all the way home for God to forgive me for allowing Satan to have the temporary victory.  I prayed that God would help me to forgive "my sandpaper" because I do not answer for her.................I only answer for ME.

When she starts rubbing her sandpaper on me....................I am just going to pray for her and LET IT GO.......

I am human.....and I will slip...............................but this is my goal.   

The irony of this is...............if she had been a sandpaper in our church.........I would have recognized Satan at work...................but because it was not at church............I was a slow learner.............GOD HAD TO SHOW ME.

Let's all PRAY for our SANDPAPERS.......................and LET IT GO.............

We can't change anything.............but GOD CAN!!!