Smile, Ur Being Oppressed!

My boss sat me down to discuss how my attitude needed to change if I wanted to keep my job. She said I needed a smile on my face to greet people when they walked in the door. For one, I had not applied for the job to greet people. I applied to a program to learn a specialized skill. They had changed my responsibilities and put me behind a desk answering phones and filing papers.

Still willing to try I would make suggestions, which were rejected only for the same suggestions to receive praise when someone else suggested them. I had never experienced anything like it before in my life. I felt deceived, confused and trapped. Every morning I dreaded going to work. I struggled to navigate my way through these unfamiliar waters to no avail.  Soon, the bubbly person inside of me checked herself at the door and I merely existed for eight hours.

I had only heard about other people’s experiences with racism. However, for a little while it was my reality and I needed to persevere in its midst or drown. I drowned.

But God rescued me, attitude and all. The Bible says in Psalm 103:14, “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” God is a patient teacher to those who want His guidance. When life situations are too big to handle alone, a relationship with God through Jesus is the foundation for learning how to successfully navigate the waters of life.