 |
| Share Agape for the week of December 29, 2003 |
| A Quick Note From Kristina For those who've been wondering where new editions of Share Agape have been, I've some apologizing to do. Although it wasn't my plan to allow Share Agape to lapse, life got in the way. Actually, to be more precise, a project I've been working on--a musical version of Jane Eyre, which I co-wrote and directed--got in the way. I had commitments to this production that I simply couldn't shirk, and as my husband said, "Kristina, you aren't five people." Nope, I have no plans to discontinue Share Agape; God willing, it should now resume with some regularity in your mail box. :) Thank you for your patience! Kristina P.S. If you're curious about the musical, check out www.geocities.com/janeeyremusical The Outrageous Command �You have heard that it was said, �Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.� But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.� Matthew 5:43�45 This week�s Share Agape is going to be a little different than previous issues. This time, I feel compelled to write on a more personal level. As you�ve already read, I�ve been involved with a massive creative undertaking; the musical took seven years to write, we were in rehearsals for five months, and we closed just recently. And let me tell you, five+ months is a looooong time to be working with a �difficult� person. Yep, methinks the Lord wanted to pound the �love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you� command firmly into my brain. I�ve been trying hard to learn my lesson well�but it hasn�t been easy. Without getting into too many details, let me just say that a very major player in the production (I�ll call him Mr. X) gave this writer/director more nightmares than she ever dreamed one person could inspire. Over the past five+ months, I�ve dealt with a leading actor who, if he felt like it, didn�t show up to rehearsals, argued with me about directorial decisions, treated others involved in the production with complete lack of respect, quit the show twice and had to be begged (by me!) to return because we had no immediate replacement for him, cursed at me, constantly tried to undermine my authority and my direction, tried to lead actual rebellions, and struck a child who was in the production. Maybe some of you deal with people like this on a regular basis. Maybe you have no choice but to live with a co�worker or boss who reminds you of Mr. X. If so, you have my utter and complete sympathy. I�ve dealt with some difficult people in my life, but I�ve never had to deal with someone who behaved quite this badly--every day--for over five months. At times, it felt like more than I could bear. I can�t even tell you how many times this man literally created nightmares out of my dreams. How many times I physically shivered before answering the phone, thinking it might be him. How many times I had to take huge breaths and armloads of courage before entering a room he was in. How many times I came home after a day with him and collapsed into tears. He even--a couple of times--managed to take me (Mrs. I�Never�Get�Truly�Furious) and turn me into a shaking, fuming mess. There were many days when I desperately wanted to say, �Blast it! [�or something like that] Let somebody else deal with this guy!� But I couldn�t afford that luxury. There was no one who could take over my position. Sadly, Mr. X turned a project that should have been mostly joyous for me and turned it into something that will forever be tinged with frustration and aggravation. At times, I was blessed with outpourings of sympathy from others--which certainly helped to bolster me. But most of the time, it was just me, dealing with the miserable Mr. X. MORE ~~~> |
 |
 |
 |
 |