08 September, 2013

Troubled

I've been naive. I didn't guess that being a magazine editor could stir up so much trouble. I had plenty in the early days: particularly from writers who didn't like the status quo being changed. But I believed that most of the worst trouble was behind me.

Wrong. Just this last week I've received several troubling emails from two missionaries. Both have taken my well meaning words and twisted them, getting themselves in knots about my apparent ill will towards them and the magazine. 

It occasionally makes me want to chuck the job in. I hate conflict. I particularly hate it when people get all insecure and spew out anger at me because they feel threatened or I don't give them enough adulation. I also hate it when people, who don't understand my job think they do, not just criticise but (try to) boss me around. 

Grrr. 

As I was pondering the latest of these attacks, I began to prepare dinner last night. Over my sink is a little collection of Bible verses that I rotate through the verse up at the moment is 
"Cast all your cares on Him [Christ] because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
 Oh. You know what? When you're stewing over a problem, that is the hardest thing: to cast the anxiety away onto Christ! I've been trying. But it is hard.

Neither of these missionaries are going away any time soon. You'll be sure that, in addition to trying to cast my cares on Christ, I'll also be praying that these men's attitudes toward me changes.

2 comments:

Karen said...

Sorry to hear this, Wendy. I'll pray that you'll be able to manage what's going on and that disagreements will be resolved. Take care.

Anna said...

Thinking of you Wendy.
We've been looking at Philippians in KYB recently, and I have been very convicted by Paul's earnest emphasis on the necessity of humility in the Body of Christ. The injunction to "have the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" is not there because it's easy, but because we believers so often fail to emulate Christ's example. That lack of humility (whether conscious or otherwise) is so destructive to relationships, or at least to peace and harmony!
It blows me away to reflect on the One who "being very nature God" ... "made himself nothing".

Keep clinging to the Lord. (Or to quote Dory, "keep swimming!" - we've just reintroduced the children to "Finding Nemo").