Photo Credit: Vidar Nordli Mathisen
When men mess with you, they test your God... and that's like playing with fire!
As I sat there watching… waiting… They started. One after the other they brought their accusations, questioning my authority, demanding answers. While some sneered, others gloated. And on and on, they passed the baton from one to another, each one bringing a more bitter judgement than the previous speaker.
Usually, in meetings when something is said that didn’t sit right, I would interject and have my say. But on this particular occasion, my lips were sealed and it wasn’t intended. It wasn’t part of my plan. However, as I leaned into the Lord, asking Him to hold me… and beseeching Him, I heard Him say, “Remain silent. Do not answer them. Do not try to defend yourself.”
And I stayed mute. I’ve never in my whole life been so composed before. I shifted in my chair a few times, crossed and uncrossed my legs a couple more times. Sighed. Perhaps yawned even. But I didn’t so much as utter a letter or a even a dot.
What were their misgivings? To put it simply, they wanted me to give them reports on how and why I administered my office the way I did, and according to them, why I never carry them along. They wanted me to be at their mercy. There was no breathing space, everyone had something to say. It was slaughter day and they all brought their daggers. One by one, each one took a jab at me but unlike Caesar and Brutus these were bolder. They shoved their hostility in my face.
But nothing that was said could make me speak. Finally, after each of them had spoken, someone who wasn’t in their camp speaks up and he was barely into his second sentence when chaos broke out. They took offense at something the man had said and stormed out of the meeting shouting on top of their voices.
That was how the gathering scattered before my eyes. The last thing I remember hearing was from one of their supporters who in an attempt to get me to break and speak, said, “its like you’re in a court and they say you have stolen money… the right thing for you to do is to defend yourself…”
After the whole thing went up in flames of confusion, I left for my desk, sat down quietly… then typed out an sms to two people; my husband and my brother. It was a cry for help, asking for prayers to be offered up. After that I went straight to my boss's office and laid a complaint. “Sir,” I said, “there’s a lot of animosity—” Shocked, he asked, “Animosity?” “Yes sir… I’ve just been ambushed by them in the H.O.D’s office… they’re demanding to know how the funds were spent, why phones were bought…they would have preferred to have had the money in hand….” I managed to summarise the outplay of their mischief. “Tell them to come and ask me,” my boss said, “Call a meeting tomorrow… 10am!”
I went back to my office. Typed out the message hurriedly and sent it out on our WhatsApp platform. Then the jitters started. It began with the H.O.D. He asked my other colleague, the one on my side. He was like, “Did she report to the commissioner?” When I heard it, I thought… “What was he thinking?” (Shrug).
The following morning at the meeting with my boss, he began by addressing the issue about the phones, reminding them how he never asked that anyone be given money but that I should purchase the phones… (sometimes the way these people resisted me and claimed they heard something I was doubly sure wasn’t said, was frightening… I started to wonder if I was deaf or going nuts…). Then he announced that he wasn’t going to tolerate gross misconduct…and that anyone who didn’t like it here could leave…
He also subtlety told off the H.O.D. and cautioned him before everyone that he shouldn’t encourage gossips or take sides with troublemakers… “do not encourage discord…” my boss told him.
It was so quiet around the conference table, you could hear a pin drop.
“I don’t want to hear this sort of thing again.”
My boss spoke with so much wisdom that morning, the matter was over before I had time to analyse it. Again I had victory. Again God’s intervention came swiftly. Again my accusers were silenced!!
I beseech you brethren, no matter the trouble that confronts you, choose God. Fear God.
He showed up. YHWH. And like chaff, those who boasted in their might were consumed by the fiery flames of His garment.
Proverbs 21:30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
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