Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. – Zephaniah 3:14-19
About three years ago, I wrote about the battle belonging to the Lord. As I reflected on His mercy and grace recently, I realized it was time to share about the victory He has provided in my life. God saw fit to provide me a promotional opportunity with a different company. After twenty-five and a half years, I left the company from which I thought I would retire. It was scary and exciting all at the same time. My new bosses provide full support of my career and personal goals. They provide flexibility for work-life balance and encourage participation in my professional organization. It seems as if I have reached the promised land of workplaces. I have more responsibility than ever before, but my husband says he has his wife back. He sees the burden that has been lifted from the stress and negativity I left behind.
During my first six months at the new job, I was in frequent contact with my previous boss. I let her know that I had the opportunity to offer a past co-worker a position. I frequently asked her if she had plans to promote this employee, and I let her know that I had a position for this employee if she did not. When I finally hired the employee, I discovered just how negative that relationship with the old boss had become. She accused me of betraying her and disregarding the years of mentorship. I reminded her of our many conversations. She remained bitter and did not acknowledge my attempts at reconciliation. My family pointed out that this was evidence of the cloud I had been under for so many years.
When reading these verses not too long ago, it struck me that God has given me this same victory. My previous boss was forced to retire early, and her entire department has been decentralized into a variety of other units. While I am saddened at the turn of events in my old workplace, God has shown that He got me out just in time. I am blessed to be able to work from home, travel to professional conferences, speak at local chapter events, and grow my professional portfolio with the full support of my bosses. God continues to fight my battles and reminds me on a regular basis that He has given me reason to shout and rejoice!
by Melissa Caperton