Justin Champagne

Let me speak to your manager!

I have been a member of St. Alban’s for over two years. In that time, I have prepared meals for the students, participated in Bible studies and Sunday lectionary classes, and helped to organize this devotional series. 

“But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’

He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’”--Exodus 17:3-4, 7

Click here to read the appointed scripture for Sunday in the Third Week of Lent.

Devotional

We all know about the “Let me speak to your manager!” situation. The frugal customer is unhappy that they aren’t getting the discount they want. The picky eater complains that their steak is too overdone. The uncomfortable passenger insists they need an aisle seat. Whenever something doesn’t go our way, we look for the person in charge to complain to; but whether the complaint is frivolous, like a bowl of gumbo that's too hot , or a genuine problem, like a lack of water in the desert, the pressure always goes to the manager. In this chapter of the Book of Exodus, we see Moses come under this pressure. To the Israelites, he is the “manager” that is responsible for their safety and wellbeing and, while thirst is a real concern, the burden of responsibility is no less heavy and exhausting for Moses to bear. Worse still, they question whether or not the boss Himself is actually doing what He is supposed to. 

So what does Moses do? Knowing that what they demand is beyond his credentials, he appeals to his boss for help; and, of course, Moses’s boss steps in and handles the situation. I, myself, am blessed to have mostly had fantastic bosses in my working life. Whenever I am faced with a situation that I cannot handle alone for one reason or another, I always have people above and around me that I can count on to step in when needed–especially when the situation is desperate. I am blessed to have bosses that are not just my supervisors, but team members that I can always depend on. 

The best news of all? We all have the same boss in life, and He is the best boss of all. Whenever we need to complain about something, or if we receive a complaint that we don’t know how to handle, we can always take it up to God and trust Him to handle it when we cannot. From the frivolous complaints to the desperate pleas, God is always on the floor helping us in the way that we need.