Perceptions

Today I have the amazing opportunity of starting my service as a MOPS Coordinator. I have struggled with this for several months as I have slowly softened my heart to obey God's leading. This has been such a scary journey for me since early in the spring of this year. When I first felt led to pursue this position, I came up with every excuse that I could for why I could not do this position. One by one, God removed every barrier and even gave me a peace that I was doing exactly what He had planned for me.

Slowly, my fear turned to acceptance, then anticipation. But still, I had a fear. One person that I had to work with had a reputation for being incredibly difficult to work with, and I would have to work with her on a consistent basis. I was dreading having to deal with her, so I began to pray for her and my relationship with her. Over the past months, I have begun to get to know her much better and I discovered that many of the things that I had been told about her were not exactly accurate. Yes, she is a perfectionist, but it is because she takes pride in her work. And, yes, she can seem a bit frustrated with her work, but that can happen when you do not have access to the information that you need.

I have discovered that I am actually looking forward to partnering with her and working together to make this an amazing year for our group. If I had allowed my perceptions of her cloud my judgment, I likely would have acted like others before me who became cold and distant to her. But through God's grace, He allowed me to see through to who she really was and get to know the woman behind the shell. She is a beautiful, loving, dedicated woman who is passionate about serving. I just hope some more of her dedication can rub off on me.

Have you developed a friendship with someone whom you thought would never be a friend because of something that you thought you knew about them? How did it work out for you?