One day I was reading a comment in response to an article and it stuck with me. The man who left the comment asked why is it that Christians pick and choose what they want to obey. Why do they pick what sins they get to get away with and what sins they want to condemn others for? He made an excellent point. How horrible it is to be represented as such, hypocrites. The world is so aware of it and we don't seem to care that we are doing this. The same God that we serve that will judge their sins is the same God who will see us next regarding how we represented Him! How will that meeting turn out?

Today is the Jewish New Year. They call this the most holy of all days. Rosh Hashanah. Unfortunately for the Orthodox Jews, they are still waiting for the redeemer that has already come. Let's pray that their hearts will change to accept Christ along with everyone else.


This year marks 5773 on their calendar. As you know, I am "studying" Biblical Hebrew and learning some Greek. Don't ask me anything because I don't know. (LOL just kidding). God always give me a message to focus on right before our new year and I had no idea He was actually giving me messages for His/our new year. I just always thought He wanted me to start early. At St. Luke they always had testimony service for watch meet so I am going to give you my testimony. This is actually what God brought to my memory that was one of my struggles, you know the one we usually try to ignore that is a command so, this morning and I am sharing it with you. Just like all testimony services, it's going to be kind of long.

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES: I would like to give a testimony on something that happened to me 12yrs ago. When I first started work at SCAN health plan, I was a temp. I had a supervisor name Rosie who did not like me and wanted me to fail. I did not realize this until she just made it so obvious. Being that I was a good worker, I could not understand why my boss hated me until one day I realized that she must have been angry with me for acknowledging her great mistake she made at work. You see, I started out working in the Enrollment Service department. Our job was to make sure that the members were qualified to be on an HMO plan by verifying their current part A and part B Medicare status through Social Security. I also made sure they understood that they will no longer be under their old provider but will join us come the following month. We were to re-inform the new members of what things are covered under our plan and what is not covered. What were covered were all medications. What were not covered are things like needles used for insulin. Well, my boss was instructing us to tell members that insulin was not covered. Even though I had just started the job, I knew that she was confusing the "Meds" with the "instruments." I even told her this over and over but she would not listen. To make a long story short, the director of the department found out, through me (because I asked her the question about coverage), that my boss was telling us to give the wrong information out to the members and that I was the only one who was giving the right information in spite of the instructions of my supervisor. I was praised for my act and later I found out that Rosie was reprimanded. So, ever since then, it was her mission to get me fired. She tried to write me up for things I did not do which I always refused to sign them. She would monitor my calls and call me in saying I laughed at a member who was giving me sad news when that never happened. She tried everything and it felt like I was dreaming because of my boss being so blunt about her hatred towards me. One day, God quickened me and reminded me that I must love and pray for those who spitefully use me. Oh my goodness, why did God say that! I had to obey because it was a direct message for me. So the very first night was sooooooo hard!!! It made me sick to my stomach to let out the words... and LORD, please bless Rosie and her family. I did not pray for God to change her, I just prayed for God to bless her. I prayed as if she did nothing wrong to me. But, it came out bitter. Truth be told, I was even a little angry for God making me do this. The next day, as always she kept trying to find ways to get me fired and I kept praying for her, and always added her family to it, every night as if she did nothing to me.

I didn't realize this but word got around about my good work. I had favor with the company, including HR. I was a temp at SCAN for over a year while most temps became permanent within 4 months of working there. My boss knew that the company liked me so she couldn't just let me go and she also couldn't just come up with any old excuse. So, one way she punished me was to keep me as a temp for as long as possible. She also did that to someone who was my best friend. It seemed that anyone who liked me, she didn't like as well. I never had seen anything like this! But, she hated me more. So, finally, one spot became available and there were two temps left...me and Clara. My supervisor called me into the office and told me that I did not get the position. She said I'm sorry but if there is anything I can do for you to help you find another spot somewhere else, let me know. I knew I was much better then Clara so I wanted to hear from her mouth, why she chose Clara over me. She said, well, Clara is a better fit. It brought her pleasure to tell me this. The hurt that I felt was so deep that I wanted to go home afraid that I might burst out in tears. Clara loved me so much that she wanted to quit because she always said, we were joined at the hips. We came in together and we will find another place to work together. I told her to please stay.

The next day I went down to HR so very hurt asking if there is anything that I can do to stay with the company. To my surprise, they were surprised that I didn't get the position and they were upset about it. They said to me, do not worry about a thing, we will find you something. I had to finish out the full month before my time was up to leave. Right before the time was up, HR called me and said they found a place that would better suit me with the medical background that I have. They sent me to Independent Living Power. I was so happy because not only did I now have a permanent job, but it was the office in down town Long Beach. “The Well's Fargo building”. The most beautiful and might I add coveted office in SCAN!

I didn't know this at the time (seems to be a pattern of mines) but my co-workers, including my boss were jealous of the fact that I was moving to a better office. Only Clara was truly happy for me. Mind you, I am still praying for my boss and her family every night. Well, it didn't take long, as a matter of fact; it only took a week for Rosie to try to get me fired from my new position. I thought she would have been happy knowing that she didn't have to ever see me again. I sent an email to the other co-workers (Enrollment Services) telling them that I miss them and that I hope they are having a wonderful day. I'm serious, that is what I sent them. Rosie called my new boss, Karla, and told her to tell me to stop emailing her department. She told Karla that she must not be giving me enough work to do if I have time to email her employees. Karla called me in her office and started to reprimand me. I was in shock when I found out what Rosie did. As I explained to Karla what I did and showed her the email I sent, I started to cry because I didn't understand why someone could hate me so much. My supervisor was so shocked at what Rosie tried to do. She said to me, I never would have expected this from Rosie but let me tell you something about me; I do not like it when someone messes with "my girls". That is what she called us. I didn't like it but what the heck, she was on my side. She said, you will never have to worry about her again, I promise. And she was right, after that, I never heard anything else from her about me but, Clara was having problems this time and was trying to get out of the department. My boss was worse on Clara then she was on me. I felt so bad. Clara finally was able to get out of that department and moved to sales.

Two lessons that I was about to learn: #1 God is not finished with me yet. #2 God was not finished with Rosie yet.

Less than a year later there was a big layoff. Many changes were made including getting rid of Enrollment Services. Rosie was laid off. No one seen it coming but God revealed it to me through the director of sales. (I did mention that SCAN found favor with me.) No one believed me when I told them that there was going to be a major lay-off because they heard rumors before and nothing ever happened. Well, they believed. Sad part was the director who told me about this was also laid off. When this happened, I prayed for everyone that was laid off. When one door closes, another opens.

It started to become a habit for me to pray for Rosie and her family and I became sincere in my prayers for her. It is true that it took me awhile for my heart to change. Things seemed to be going good until I heard that Clara was dying. Her cancer came back and she was in hospice. Before this happened she told me when she was working in Enrollment Services that she believed that department was making her sick with stress. So, when I found out she was sick, bitterness began to form. I started to blame Rosie. My friend died shortly after and I attended the funeral. Rosie was also at the funeral. When I saw her I had the look of how dare you come here you murderer! That is exactly how I felt. She was sitting by herself and she was crying. My heart started to soften just a little. I wondered why she was crying and if it was real tears. It was. I tried to avoid her but when she saw me, she humbly came over to me and hugged me. I realized that she had changed. You see, God was not just working on me, but He was working on her as well. She was one of us in the workings. It made me think of the message parable that Jesus gave. The angel was instructed not to pull the wheat from the tare in case they might pull the wheat with the tare. He wasn't worried about some tares being mistaken for wheat being saved with the wheat but, He was concerned about the wheat being mistaken for tare being destroyed with the tare.

It is never God's desire that anyone should parish. It is God's desire that all come to Him. He had His way of dealing with me, and He had His way of dealing with her but imagine if I did not listen to God by taking heed to what He commanded me? I would have interfered with God's process of fixing me and her. Ezekiel 18: 21 “But suppose a wicked person turns away from all the sins that he has done. He obeys all my laws and does what is fair and right. He will certainly live. He will not die. 22 All the rebellious things that he did will not be remembered. He will live because of the right things that he did. 23 I don’t want wicked people to die.” declares the Almighty Lord. “I want them to turn from their evil ways and live.
This is the heart of God. He wants us to have that same heart. This is why it is important that we obey the LORD in ALL that he instructs us to do. We do not know what God is doing and it's none of our business if He does not share with us what His plan is. Our only job is to be obedient. God is always testing us. It's not what happens to us that count but how do we handle the things that happens to us is what count! Happy New Year, Shana Tova 5773.

God Bless you,
Angela R. Ingram