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PROGRAM D-7857

Fran is dealing with a client, Marge, who is difficult, to say the least; a more appropriate description would be obnoxious. Marge intimidates, harasses, humiliates and demands unfair things from Fran. But since she’s a customer, what can Fran do? Fran truly cannot stand her.

Jesus has asked Fran to at least be willing to love her—not necessarily like her, but love her with his kind of agape love. After another unpleasant encounter with Marge yesterday, Fran is driving to work and praying for a lot of people, as she often does, and Marge comes to mind.

“I’d like to pray that lightning will strike her,” Fran says with a grin, knowing that she halfway means it. But she attempts to pray for her: “Dear Lord, please help Marge to see how obnoxious she is and change the way she treats me.” Her prayer bounces off the car ceiling; she knows it’s the wrong prayer.

“Praying that Marge will change—I guess that’s not exactly how I should pray,” she says to herself. “But Lord,” she continues, “she should change. Her behavior is awful,” Fran defends herself.

Her spirit is uneasy. Somehow, she has to get beyond this selfish kind of praying, even though Marge is difficult. She can’t change Marge; she can only change herself.

“Well, what should I pray?” Fran finally asks.

Then she thinks of something she heard on the radio—to pray that she could see Marge the way God sees her. To pray for a new frame for Marge: a new way to see her by putting her in a different frame.

“Put her in a different frame,” Fran thinks. “I guess I can do that, but she really is obnoxious.” As she drives along she thinks about that further. “I guess I’ve had her in the obnoxious frame too long. Maybe I should pray for a new frame for Marge—a new way to look at her.”

Even though she feels a little foolish and not totally sincere, in obedience Fran starts her prayer again: “Dear Lord, please help me to see Marge the way you do. Please give me a new frame to put her in. There’s got to be something good about her, Lord. Please show me what that is.”

Who is it in your life right now that you just simply do not like? They may be very unlikable, but you can learn to see them through God’s eyes; you can ask God to help you re-frame them and see something positive about them. Why don’t you stop where you are right now and pray for that person? It will start to make a real difference in how you relate to him or her.