Seeing Jesus in others

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xyneshia

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I guess I would like some advice. I work in a call center. When you call an 800 number and hear a distant voice on the other end–there is a chance that voice is mine. I take 80 calls a day. I talk to about 80 or so total strangers every day.

Almost everyone I talk to destroys me a little. All day long people cuss at me, call me dirty words, scream at me, threaten to harm me or my children. (btw I do not collect money). Even while I give in to their every request, bend over backwards, bending and breaking policy to accomidate their requests–just constantly treating me like garbage.

As a Christian, I try to see Jesus in everyone. I try to see us with the same eyes God see’s us with. I feel like I cannot do this anymore. I see anger, hurt, and hate, coupled with ungratefullness, self pity and foul language.

I don’t see myself as a victom, I am sure that there are plenty of people in my position. What bothers me is that I can’t see Jesus in these people. I see people as bad…I want to see them as sacred creations made in the image and likeness of God, which is what they are.

Any advice to help me “see straight” again? I have fallen a long ways to feel the way I do and need some advice to get back on my feet, to be the holy woman God wants me to be.
 
I don’t know. I have trouble seeing Jesus in some people, too.

As for the phone calls, I used to be somewhat curt with unsolicited callers, until I worked for the McCain campaign. Most people were kind enough, but the ones that weren’t taught me a lesson.

Now, whether I’m interested or not, I am unfailingly polite.

Maybe you can see Jesus in these people as Christ literally ‘trying your patience?’
 
Well, the obvious first bit of advice I would give would be to quit that job.As no amount of money is worth making yourself miserable over. But I realize it may not be that simple.

That having been said…

As far as seeing Jesus in these people, the best thing you can do is
a) recognize you are interacting with these people for but a few minutes out of both your lives (not that that makes it any less wrong).
b) recognize these people do not know you, whatever they may imply about you and who you are holds no real weight.
c) remember that Christ loved and prayed for those who did to him physically what these people are doing (most unjustly) to you verbally.

It’s not easy, and if you can’t help but get upset with someone for talking to you in such an abhorrent fashion, that’s okay. Pick yourself up and contemplate it. Sometimes “seeing Jesus” is something you have to think about for a little bit, it doesn’t just come automatically. But remember more than anything you are a good person and nothing those people say can change that 👍.

Hang tough.
 
May God Bless You and keep You, and May He Make His Light to Shine Upon You.

Keep the Faith and do not lose heart. I also work in customer service and deal with angry and rude people quite often. There was a time when I would let them get to me and bring me down, even to the point of becomming angry and blowing up at some of them.

I realized that I was not helping anybody by this behavior, and even though you would think that I would feel better after venting, I would alway feel twice as bad as before.

So, as is always the case, I took my problem to God, I prayed for help with temper control and with dealing with difficult people. And, as is always the case, God has helped me. I now realize that I cannot allow other to control my life and how I am feeling.

So pray for help and keep on smiling. Jesus Loves You!!! And so do all of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Again, God Bless You!
 
xyneshia said:
I guess I would like some advice. I work in a call center. When you call an 800 number and hear a distant voice on the other end–there is a chance that voice is mine. I take 80 calls a day. I talk to about 80 or so total strangers every day.

Almost everyone I talk to destroys me a little. All day long people cuss at me, call me dirty words, scream at me, threaten to harm me or my children. (btw I do not collect money). Even while I give in to their every request, bend over backwards, bending and breaking policy to accomidate their requests–just constantly treating me like garbage.

As a Christian, I try to see Jesus in everyone. I try to see us with the same eyes God see’s us with. I feel like I cannot do this anymore. I see anger, hurt, and hate, coupled with ungratefullness, self pity and foul language.

I don’t see myself as a victom, I am sure that there are plenty of people in my position. What bothers me is that I can’t see Jesus in these people. I see people as bad…I want to see them as sacred creations made in the image and likeness of God, which is what they are.

Any advice to help me “see straight” again? I have fallen a long ways to feel the way I do and need some advice to get back on my feet, to be the holy woman God wants me to be.
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I used to work in a call center too, and it was really, really draining :hug1:. I found on most days (not Mondays, Tuesdays in the am, or Fridays during business hours, tho’) that if I sounded like I was really listening to them and caring about them, they often started treating me better. This didn’t work 100% of the time - more like 70% of the time. Since I was focussing on their feelings more, tho’, it was slightly less stressful for me, too. That was true whether I did anything big (like a big credit) or not.🤷 Well, I’m not working there anymore.
 
I don’t have any wisdom to share except that people tend to let their darker sides come out in 2 situations: behind the wheel and on the telephone. I have learned from experience that most people find it easy to hide behind the anonymity of the phone. Perhaps the person feels they have been mistreated, or given the shaft and no one cares. Also, I have found, from working in a prison if a person doesn’t know what to expect or what a procedure is or why something takes so long they get frustrated. So giving information as to what to expect helps tremendously. Many times someone wants to know that you’re on their side and that you understand and you will do as much as you possibly can. Many times its the heart you put into it even if the result is not what they wanted. Although, there are others who are just on a power trip and no reasoning will help. So all you can do is your best and offer each action of everyday up to God…I wish I had a good answer for you.
 
I’m so sorry people treat you this way, xyneshia, on the phone. That is horrible and it must be extremely exhausting.

Sometimes, when my human mind cannot wrap itself around “seeing Jesus in other people” in certain situations, I find it refreshing to look at life in another direction, by trying to see them through Jesus’ eyes. Just switching the roles. Not that they’re Jesus, but that He is you. He is present in you; what does He feel towards these people? How would He answer them? He may want you on that telephone for the simple reason that where you are, He is… and it gives Him more contact with those people. You may be the only Christ-like voice they hear that day! (or week!) I think you have a very close connection with Him because of how He suffered hatred, anger, hurt, rudeness, injustice, and abuse. And even if no one seems to respond positively, your kindness and politeness can’t NOT be a good.

I don’t know. I don’t want you needlessly suffering, though.
 
This is the toughest thing I’m dealing with in my Christianity now…seeing Jesus in others …I’m praying about it though. Its tough sometimes.
 
I would like to thank each and every one of you so far for your replies. I certainly have some great responses here to my question and just in time. this is the close of my weekend and I will be back answering the phones again first thing 6am tomorow.
 
I think the best thing you can do is pray for them. EVen when they are awful, terrible, and mean - especially then, especially when you are totally drained and exhausted from dealing with them - pray for them. Even “God, please forgive them” is better than nothing. YOu may be the only person who prays for them. Then you are helping them, and helping further the kingdom of God.

Remember, feelings don’t matter - actions do. You can feel nothing but total rage at the people who are rude to you, but when you pray for them, you do an act of mercy. Honestly, an even greater act of mercy than when you pray for those you love. You live out Jesus’s commandment to love. And the living it out is what’s important. The rest of it will follow.
 
JohnPaul64 said:
This is the toughest thing I’m dealing with in my Christianity now…seeing Jesus in others …I’m praying about it though. Its tough sometimes.
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Amen.

I can see Jesus in the face of the ganja-reeking homeless man who attended the Easter Vigil (bless him for that) far more easily than in the faces of our current administration. 😦
 
Although I don’t work in a call center, I have problems dealing with that too. It takes a lot of patience indeed. I kept holding back tears over those things, it’s so difficult when your mind only seeks peace and silence. Even your heart is bursting of pain, be polite anyway. 🙂 Patience is indeed a virtue. 🙂
 
I work in customer service, too.
I guess we get to have a tiny taste of what Jesus felt when people, along with mocking him and calling him cruel names and laughing in his face, tortured and killed him - these were the very people he was SAVING and LOVING - all he’s trying to do is help them. You and me, too, do the same thing - every time we sin, I guess, we kind of spit in his face (is that accurate?). Yet he still loves us. He forgives us. He is unbelievably merciful and kind to us. He didn’t respond meanly to his tormentors or lash out. He was quiet and accepted it and prayed for them. What an example!
 
As a follow up to this. I have been praying for others with my rosary and in daily prayer. I pray for those who I get angry with and those who have offended me in some way. It feels really good to do this. I think it gives me some special graces to deal with these people. I think if you look you’ll see Jesus in anyone. I notice some changes in those whom I pray for lately too. They act a little differently to me in a good way 🙂
 
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