On Assignment, Part 2

I'm tired, but if I don't keep up with this story, I'm never gonna finish because stuff keeps happening and things are getting better and better. 
So when I got back from Brazil I stopped in to pick up my check and let them know I wasn't anxious for hours and would love to hold off until the summer.  I really wasn't sure if I wanted to go back, and really didn't think I could handle being around Ink.  Before I went to Brazil, she was just so demeaning and I was beginning to feel the tension rise in me whenever I knew I needed to go into work. The money wasn't worth the stress.  But again, I felt a stay on my spirit not to quit.  Then sometime in March, Ink called me and let me know they had restructured things.  Her sister-in-law would be running the weddings and Ink would only be in the restaurant.  She wanted to know if I would be the assistant manager for the weddings--that way I wouldn't be working directly with Ink.  I would only be working the weddings and they would pay me a comparable rate to what I would have made working in the restaurant.  AND I would get to work with her sister-in-law who I knew was really struggling and could use the encouragement.  I said yes, knowing this felt like God's way of keeping me there, and protecting me. 
I began working in May and things started off poorly.  Ink seemed to always be changing things and frustrating her sister in law and I always got stuck in the middle.  One morning I was very discouraged and made my way over to Rev. Mary's for our weekly time.  I was so down we just ended up talking and then she prayed over me.  It was amazing the insight the Lord gave her about the situation.  It was like she was pulling the arrows right out of my back.  She said I got caught in the crossfire.  She had a few words from the Lord for me about the situation.  One I found of great comfort, she said that the Lord put a limit on my time there, and if things did not change He was going to pull me out.  She also said that the Lord said that at times my tongue could be "biting" and that He was just going to remove that completely from me.  I hadn't even told her about my struggle of being caught in the middle of the gossip--but from that time on I found it was never an issue.  Then she also said the Lord showed her a picture of me walking into the reception hall and that she could see the demons screaming because of the glory of God upon me as I was walking in.  I never walked through that door without thinking about that and wishing I could see it myself.  It was of great encouragement to me. 
There were several more situations over the weeks that were trying, but each time the Lord showed me He was using me, and reminded me that He would yank me out if my assignment was over. 
Then, about three weeks ago I was at work and picked up my pay check before heading up to the wedding.  I checked it because sometimes they forgot to sign my check, and noticed that it was significantly lower than it should have been.  I looked at my rate, and realized that they had docked my pay by 1/3 for a full two weeks worth of work.  I was not happy, and it's a good thing I had to walk all the way across the parking lot to find Ink.  I had time to remind myself of a number of important things. 
So by the time I found Ink I was quite civil and said, "I think there's been a mistake, at least I hope there's been a mistake.  I've been paid the wrong rate." 
She looked at me and said, "Look, I'm not the one who writes the paycheck, but if that is what the owner has decided to pay you, there is nothing I can do."  "I know I agreed to pay you more, but I have no power to make that right with you." 
I looked at her and quietly and with a bit of disbelief I said, "It's just so wrong." 
"This is what I deal with all the time," she said. "I have no power to honor the agreements I've made with people."  "And these guys love a fight, so I don't know if you want to get into a fight with evil."
As she said it, this little thought went through my head that was something like a question, "Well isn't that exactly what we are supposed to be doing?"
I took a deep breath and said, "Look, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I will pray about it before I do anything drastic.  What I would like for you to do is ask them to adjust my pay for what I have already worked.  IF they want to adjust my salary from here on out, then I have a choice to make if I want to stay at the adjusted rate."
So at this point, every blood cell in my entire body wanted to quit.  And I went home that night and just felt awful.  The money really wasn't a big deal.  It was the idea that someone would be that unfair--to decide without telling an employee that they were going to pay them less than had been agreed upon and then basically say, if you don't like it you can leave.  It's just so wrong.  Who treats people like that?  I knew Ink was between a rock and a hard place, and I knew I had to wait and see what happened. 
Well, two days later I got an e-mail.  They would adjust my paycheck for the hours I worked, but from that point forward, my position was no longer available.  However, if I wanted to be a server at the adjusted rate, I was welcome to stay and serve at the weddings.  So now I  find Igot a pay cut, and I got demoted. 
I wanted to quit even more.  But every spiritual piece of me knew God didn't want me to.  It was so clear that I knew for me to do that would be a direct act of disobedience. 
So two weeks ago, I pulled my white server shirt out of the closet and showed up at work to serve.  Of course everyone working there knew I got demoted, they just didn't know why.  The Lord gave me a lot of grace though, and I just kept thinking, the only thing that is hurting right now is my pride, and I know that being humiliated right now is an act of worship.  This is an act of worship.  Eventually I was able to enjoy myself and the routines of the night.  Another interesting thing that happened that night is that before I went to work, the Lord reminded me that I had several dishes that I had borrowed from the kitchen to bring home food in.  He said very clearly, "I want you to take those back tonight."  I found two of the three and made sure I returned them, because He seemed very serious about it.  It wasn't a big deal that I had taken them home, but I kept them so long that I had begun to worry that they would use it as an excuse to yell at me so I had avoided returning them.  It was as if He was saying it was important there wasn't anything on my part that needed to be made right. 
As I left work that night, I remember being glad it was over, and being glad that I had been obedient.  I even thought, I like being a server better than being in charge of anything.  It's a lot less pressure.  I thought that would pretty much be the end of the story, but it was actually a new beginning. 
Monday morning, I got an e-mail...