“Many people [in authority] oppose us, persecute us, and would like even to destroy us, but we must be patient. As long as their commands are not against our conscience, let us obey them, but when the case is otherwise, let us uphold the rights of God and of the Church, for those are superior to all earthly authority.”
— St. John Bosco
I am finally free. I no longer work in a toxic work environment, and I no longer need to deal with a manager who gossips about me, causing me hurt and anxiety. But now, I continue to pray for her.
It’s incredible, though, how someone can go to the extent of their “power” as management, in order to destroy someone, because of their jealousy towards them. I don’t mean to sound so conceited or anything, and forgive me if I do, but I believe that it is jealousy that she has towards me. But it boggles my mind how someone can feel so jealous that they go to the extent that they do, just to “be better” than the person they are jealous of. It doesn’t matter that the company is closing in a couple of months. It doesn’t matter that she doesn’t have to see me anymore. What matters is that she is on top of me and that she has the satisfaction of bringing me down.
The Lord does not punish us (though it kinda felt like it). It was definitely a test of humility, patience, and endurance. It was so easy to just fall down to her level and engage in the gossip with my coworkers, but it did nothing but give me satisfaction that people were on my side…but at the end of the day, I knew God was disappointed in me. The past two months were the hardest two months of my life; both spiritually, physically, and mentally.
This experience is an affirmation of how much more we need to pray for the people in authority. That they learn to use their power for the greater good, and not for their personal satisfaction or advantage. As well, for the people who work for someone above them, that they cling on to God’s promise, fight through the hurt and frustration, and focus on getting through it all with prayer.