Better the Devil You Know…my Frienemy
Urban Dictionary: Frienemy
Word Spy – Frienemy
I had a strange, almost familiar dream last night. It involved a former co-worker and she was in hot pursuit of me. She wanted to find out why I had been avoiding her. She finally caught up with me at a metro station and I succeeded once again in avoiding her, only this time, I noticed she was hurting and was needing me to comfort her. She almost reached me….and then I woke up. I thought about the dream as I was getting ready this morning and I remembered how the Lord has used dreams to get messages to me…some dreams pretty clear and specific, like the time He assured me that the child I was carrying was the one I had been praying for; other dreams have not been as obvious, but have been symbolic in nature and most often the purpose or message has been revealed or played out. While I haven’t been actively avoiding this girl, she’s someone I probably wouldn’t pull over to catch her up on the latest. Knowing what I know, and having experienced her “specialness,” I will not be surprised to hear when her season of reaping begins or heats up.
“Better the devil you know, than the one you don’t know.” A little ditty one of my spiritual moms said, I’m sure. This little ditty reveals my feelings about this girl. I rather enjoyed her company in the beginning, but my eyes were wide open and my ears were on alert whenever I was around her. I was familiar with her game. I had been observing her from a distance. She was the type of person who would attempt to solicit all of your information and offer nothing in return….and everything you said could be and most often was used against you. She was something else to behold in action: sneaky and sly, hanging out in doorways and hiding in shadows to listen and watch. I especially liked the part where she thought I was unaware of her shenanigans….I can play the dumb role really well. I guess she would fall into the category of a “friend/enemy – a frienemy”).
She was super funny, quick and kinda helpful if you made her feel you really needed her or if by helping you, it made her look good or appear useful, but if you crossed her or slipped in any way, you were toast. She was the boss’s sidekick and her job was to keep the boss happy…keep the boss laughing which worked for the rest of us (for the most part) because that kept the boss busy and us off of the radar (for the most part:) She also kept the boss informed. Her nose got a bit out of joint once she realized that the boss had taken a liking to me and then she turned up the heat against me big time, but I was ever watchful and super vigilant. I purposed to stay in my lane, happily playing dumb, never taking the boss up on offers to hang out. I knew that was her spot and I was so not interested in becoming the boss’s lap dog (sorry to be so blunt). I was exhausted…you can hold your breath for so long, ya know.
That job ended abruptly without a farewell from her (or the boss for that matter). At the end of the day, I discovered that these two (boss and sidekick) almost acted like a two headed monster, feeding off of one another, plotting and planning and cackling away at all of their conquests; portraying themselves as honorable but being anything but. You really would have to see this show to believe it and I wonder….
I wonder how many people these two have hurt, run off, brought down, lied to and about; I wonder if there’s any remorse for bad behavior; I wonder if they know how dysfunctional their union is; I wonder if they realize that their nonsense is not a secret. I especially wonder if they even care. How can they not care? I’ve run into the boss and her sidekick together once since my departure at a gathering, and they made a show about greeting me and I went along with it…hated to make them feel as ridiculous as they looked as they chased me down. I hadn’t given her much thought until she had a starring role in my dream last night. I asked the Lord to remove any lingering ought I had against her, if any, and then I prayed for her. As I write this I think that was the purpose of the dream…for me to pray for her since I’ve been on the inside and know the real deal. Those on the periphery haven’t a clue and I doubt that the ones on the inside currently are praying for anyone, besides themselves…as they duck and dodge the boss and her sidekick. Every dog has its day and if my dream is as prophetic as the ones in the past, her day is coming soon and for that I am truly sorry.
Let me encourage anyone who is reading this who has sustained any type of emotional injury at the hands of a “frienemy.” I’m praying that you rise up and move forward, healed and whole and obedient when called to pray for and do good to those whom the enemy has used to hurt you. Anticipate an opportunity to be a blessing to that one so that the same weapon formed against you which prospered can be turned around and returned to sender…the real enemy in the deal.
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28
Armoured Up 