“I find myself in a pride of lions who are wild for the taste of human flesh; their teeth are lances and arrows, their tongues are sharp daggers.” Psalm 57.5
Today is a big day! We begin a new journey at work that nobody thought possible. Even our strongest supporters had their doubts! We understand our mission, we know what needs to be done, we are willing to take the leap of faith, and so our first step is out in the open.
I could or should have anticipated what would come. The pseudo customer complaints filtered though our sales partners and the email barbs thrown by our product partners. Accusations without facts, implied failure before we start, and suggested bias where fairness continues to be the norm. It is difficult to understand the purpose or logic in their acts. Every move appears designed to hurt or maim. Their aggressive stabs and thrusts are without aim or visible intent. I am not sure which hurts more, the accusation or the motive behind the act.
In contrast to the outside is the awareness internally by the group. God gave me a special gift when I came to this new job. The gift was and is not visible to the casual observer. The group always works to focus on the positive outcome and goal at hand. Although the pride of lions growling around them is puzzling, they continue to focus on the tasks at hand. You can feel the optimistic buzz out on the floor in real and tangible ways. You see it in their eyes, you catch it in their strides, and you feel the emotion in the laughter. I first thought that the attitude was one of ignorance, I know better now. They understand pain having endured the lack of respect for years. They know the snide remarks and the implied second class citizen status. More importantly, they know that who they are is the true measure of their souls.
I hope I can reflect their qualities. Life defined and based on something higher, God.
