The voice on the other end of the line

This summer was one of great comings and goings, many visitors, overnight guests, and short and sweet road trips to visit family.  And in the process, my credit card bill gathered dust, somehow neglected on my desk, until I received an email notification marked,  "Did you forget something?"

Ooops.  My inattention to detail and lack of organization teamed up as partners in crime.  And to make matters worse, the late fees and interest charges amounted to more than the bill.  A big ooops.

I ate my big slice of humble pie, paid what I owed, and then yesterday, I called the company to beg for grace.  I knew I was in the wrong, but I was hoping for some kind of credit for good behavior.  The automated voice instructed me to enter my account information and wait for the next available "relationship manager."

Not an operator, not an account technician, but a person whose responsibility is managing relationships.  I loved that job description.  I was no longer a number, a faceless overdue account, but treated in a different light.  Heather, the woman who answered my call, started by giving me her name, as if we were meeting for coffee.  She was courteous and gracious.  And I wondered how significantly her job title changed how she saw herself, and consequently, how she approached her work and how she viewed me -- as a negligent individual, a complainer, or a real person with a name who is seeking help.

How do I approach those whom God has put on my path today?   Every task and every person is not a random interaction, but a divine appointment.

How I view my relationship with God and how I see myself impacts everyone around me.

I am crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me
and gave Himself for me.

                      Galatians 2.20