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PROGRAM D-7858
Have you learned how to re-frame? Re-framing is asking God to give you a new, positive way to look at a person or situation. It’s amazing how a new frame can make a difference.
Our friend, Fran, is having great difficulty with a customer named Marge. Marge has a big chip on her shoulder and she truly has taken a lot of her frustration out on Fran. Fran has had Marge in the “obnoxious” frame for many weeks, but Jesus has urged her to pray for a new frame for Marge, and she has done just that.
As she arrives at work today, she is under a great deal of pressure to get a job completed for Marge, who rather rudely told her what she expected yesterday. There’s no time for lunch today, so she stops at the vending machine for some crackers to munch on at her desk. When she returns, there is a message from Marge demanding an immediate call back. “Even her telephone messages are intimidating,” Fran says. She dreads having to call her back, but she starts to make the call.
Pray first, the Spirit of God quietly says to Fran.
She puts down the phone and prays briefly, “Please give me a kind heart toward Marge. Please, Lord, help me to see her as you do, and please give me a new frame to put her in!” With that short prayer, she returns the call.
An abrupt telephone greeting tells Fran she’s reached her. “Hi, Marge, sorry I missed your call but everything’s coming along pretty well. We ought to be able to have this ready for you by 4:00 or so this afternoon if nothing unforeseen happens,” Fran explains, trying to sound cheerful and confident.
“You mean, you can’t have it before 4:00? What’s taking so long for such a simple report? You people drag your feet over there so you can bill more hours! I could have done it myself by now,” Marge yells back at Fran. Fran’s heart starts beating a mile a minute.
Remember, you asked for a new frame for Marge, Jesus reminds her.
She’s still obnoxious, Fran thinks to herself. I can’t see any other frame for her. But suddenly she thinks, Anyone this angry has to be frightened.
Frightened? Marge? What would frighten her? Fran thinks. Maybe I should find out.
Fran hears herself saying to Marge, “Marge, it sounds like things are pretty hot over there; you must be under some tremendous pressure.”
“Fran, you don’t know the half of it! They’re trying to take my job away from me and give it to some young chick—save them a ton of money, I guess. They’re just looking for one excuse. . .and I’m out of here. Yeah, it’s hot over here.” Marge pauses realizing she’s said much more than she intended to. “But that’s neither here nor there. I expect to hear from you no later than 4:00.” And with that, the conversation ends.
Fran now has a new frame for Marge: Frightened.