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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Turn the Bitterness Into Sweet

March 27, 2014 ·

Turn the Bitterness Into Sweet

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Lone Tree On a Hill

Sometimes the workplace can be a difficult environment to feel God’s presence.  It can be busy, stressful, full of conflict, even bitter.  It can make you not want to walk in the door some days!

But, what if we could we turn that bitterness into something sweet?  What if we could change our hearts and attitudes about our work and the people around us?  How can we keep the bitterness, stress and conflict from taking root in our hearts?

One week as I was in a particularly stressful and divisive time on one of my projects, I came across this passage in a bible study.

Exodus 15:22:26

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.  When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.  And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”  And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”

The Israelites had just been freed from slavery in Egypt.  Just crossed the Red Sea and were now wandering in the desert.  They were running out of supplies and were thirsty.  Can you imagine the stress they must have felt to be in the middle of a desert with no water in sight?  They didn’t know where they were going or how long the journey would be.  They were beginning to question Moses and complain about their situation.  Their once-grateful hearts were turning bitter from the stress of the journey.

Stressful situations have a way of making us bitter, resentful, angry, tired, frustrated.  It’s easy to get focused on the issues and forget to be thankful for the blessings.

After three days in the desert, the Israelites found water, but it was too bitter to drink.  More complaining and grumbling.  So, God told Moses to throw a tree branch into the water which made the water sweet.

What ‘trees’ can we find to make our world sweeter, less bitter?  How do we remember to stop grumbling and be thankful?

I decided to bring a little “tree” into my office, a reminder to let go of the bitter and focus on the sweet.  I found this little “tree” and I’ve added “leaves” of scripture to sweeten my work environment.  When I’m stressed, frustrated or bitter, I look over and get encouragement from the leaves.  It reminds me to sweeten my attitude and not spread more bitter around me.  It’s also become a conversation starter as people walk by or come sit at my desk for meetings.  Another way to spread the sweetness of God’s love in the workplace.

IMG_5455

We’re called to be the ‘trees’ in our environments – with our friends, at work, at home, at school. God wants us to be sweet, not grumbling and bitter.  He wants us to influence others to turn the bitterness into sweet.

In what ways do you turn the bitter into sweet – at work, at home, at school?  What reminders (“trees”) do you have to help you stay thankful instead of grumbling?  Share some other ideas and let’s all bring a little more sweet into this sometimes bitter world!

(If you like my “tree”, I found it on Amazon, but it would be easy to make something similar if you’re crafty.)

 

Shared at: Sunday Share, WholeHearted Wednesday

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy says

    March 27, 2014 at 8:07 am

    I am very happy that you have chosen to share your journey of faith with us. You are proof that in a world that seems very empty of morals and full of selfishness that God is still saving the world one soul at the time. You are a blessing. May God continue to pour His blessings upon you as you launch into the rest of this year.

    • Kathryn says

      March 27, 2014 at 6:38 pm

      Thanks! The more light and love we put out into the world, maybe we can start to turn that tide and make the world a better place. Hoping I can bring a little light to my corner of this world 🙂

  2. Wanda W. says

    March 27, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    I like that idea of a scripture tree at work. Visiting from Blogs by Christian Women.

    • Kathryn says

      March 27, 2014 at 6:30 pm

      I’ve found that it makes me smile in those moments when I don’t feel like smiling – and encourages me on those days when I’m particularly frustrated. Thanks for stopping by – hope to see you back!

  3. Kelley says

    March 28, 2014 at 5:33 am

    Love the Scripture tree! Thanks so much for inspiring us to live out our faith every day, every where!

  4. Tracie says

    March 28, 2014 at 8:57 am

    Such a cool idea! AND, I like the question about how can I bring sweetness into a bitter environment. It actually shifts my thinking about my the work I do for groups. <3

  5. Cathy says

    March 30, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    Great insight into bitterness and I love the tree idea for a sweeter work day! Your post was so meaningful! I am stopping by from Sunday Share. Have a blessed day!

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Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm glad you're here to journey with me! I'm just an ordinary girl following an extraordinary God, learning to seek God's possible in this world of impossible. Fueled by loads of coffee, I'm passionate about helping and encouraging you along this journey, too! Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! Read More…

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