Dear New Office,

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (I Timothy 2:1-2)

I am not sure if you will be receiving this personally, or whether it will be transmitted to you via hard copy, but I send you greetings. I want you to know that you are doubly blessed; not only is your area sanctified for theological and spiritual purposes, but you will be occupied by a true Christian leader. Your walls will be party to many hours of planning and studying, and countless meetings with both colleagues and congregants. I am sure your primary occupant will spend untold days within your confines wrestling with many matters, both great and small. Please exude warmth and welcome; cultivate a gentle and loving atmosphere, but do not be hesitate to inject humor and laughter when appropriate. Be a refugee and haven, but also empower your occupant and her guests to be sent out in those tasks they take up.

The tasks that are set before you may be ones that you have taken up before, or they might be quite new, and perhaps this gives rise to mixed feelings. You may wonder how you should pay respect and homage for past occupants, and yet be re-born for this new occupant; how to hold on to tradition with integrity, and yet boldly implement new innovations. Do not be troubled, for the most important message I have saved until last; you are blessed and sanctified by God! God will look favorably on you and keep you in the Divine will. And I stand ready with you and pray for you as you house and assist your new occupant. 

Blessings to your floor as it becomes a path lighted by God; blessings to your walls as they becomes imbued with God's strength and love; and blessings to your ceiling as it becomes God's all protecting canopy.

I ask these things in God's name! Amen. Carole

I wrote this letter for a friend or colleague so long ago that I do not even remember who I wrote it for. It has been in my collection of writings for many years. I had vaguely thought of using it sometime, but it is not full column length, so I was not sure how it could be used.

But something happened recently that has made this writing very immediate and poignant. As a result of my on-call relief work I have been asked to take on a temporary position with the non-profit agency I have worked for during the last three years. And I now have an office. Not my own office per se, but my own desk in an open office space I share with two other people. It is a step up from using whatever desk area is available at the residential site where I am working on any given day. This letter is written to the office of the friend, but the actual purpose was to encourage and support the new occupant.

While I cannot put the above letter over my desk, for various reasons including the fact that overt religiosity and spirituality is not acceptable at my job, I can now read and appreciate this letter as if it were addressed to my 'new' office, and take for myself the encouragement that I hoped for my friend. 

“I want you to know that you are doubly blessed; not only is your area sanctified for theological and spiritual purposes, but you will be occupied by a true Christian leader.” Well, I am not a Christian leader, nor is my office an office for faith and spirituality. But I have tried to bring Christian compassion to all the places I have worked, this one included.

“Your walls will be party to many hours of planning and studying, and countless meetings with both colleagues and congregants. I am sure your primary occupant will spend untold days within your confines wrestling with many matters, both great and small.”  I am sure the above will be true. I will be meeting with clients who have varying needs, and I will also consult with colleagues. And knowing the nature of the issues my clients will be facing, I know there will be much struggling.

“Please exude warmth and welcome.” This middle paragraph contains hopes that I have for this job, and for the people I will work with. In this type of job having humor is helpful. The love and warmth is sometimes harder to do. But being a haven is essential. That is what we provide, a haven from the past and a hope for the future.

“The tasks that are set before you may be ones that you have taken up before, or they might be quite new, and perhaps this gives rise to mixed feelings.”  I have to wonder if I can do this job, and so the final two paragraphs are part of my fervent prayer. While I may not be able to pray with my clients and I am unlikely to pray with my colleagues, I know I will be praying many times and many days for both.

It may be unusual to wish blessings on myself and my own office area, but it is my prayer to God that I may bring help to others, and glory to the Lord. In that spirit, please feel free to pass on this to others as well.

Shalom, 
Carole