Chapter 1
The Power of an Unselfish Prayer
Bruce stood at the front of the conference room, his arms crossed and a smug expression on his face. His recent promotion to Director of Marketing at Turks Marketing Solutions had been the next rung in his quest to climb the corporate ladder, achieving a level of success that would bring him the respect of his peers, along with a high salary. He relished the power and authority that came with the new position. However, his self-centered nature and poor leadership skills were quickly becoming apparent to those around him.
In his quest for personal success and recognition, Bruce had neglected the needs and concerns of his team members. In fact, he rarely sought their input or listened to their ideas, dismissing them as irrelevant or unimportant. He believed he knew what was best. He was good at his job. Why else would he have been placed in control of the marketing team, of such a fast-growing company, by CEO Stella Langford?
In the three months since his promotion, Bruce's team members were beginning to feel undervalued and underappreciated. His constant need for validation and praise led him to often take credit for his team's successes, and his readiness to blame others when things went wrong irked his team and made them hesitant to go all in for the company. His failure to acknowledge their hard work and dedication to achieving the company's goals was beginning to take its toll, and a culture of quiet quitting began to emerge. In fact, one team superstar had moved on to another job at a competing company.
The quarterly numbers were steady, but unknown to Bruce, his leadership style had begun to negatively impact the success of the department, leading to mediocrity rather than excellence. Excellence always pushed people to be their best and scared the mediocre away. Unfortunately, it was mediocrity that scared the superstar away. Bruce did not realize that a team is always a reflection of its leader and that his lack of humility and self-awareness would soon catch up with him. He was blind to the impact he was having on his team and especially on Grace.
Grace Morrison had been with Turks Marketing Solutions for ten years and was Bruce's most trusted and gifted team member. She oversaw public relations and social media; therefore, for many people she had become the face of the company. Unfortunately, like many of the others on the team, she was beginning to become disengaged and demoralized. She often found herself going home at the end of the day in tears, wondering how she would push herself to get up the next morning and come back into what had become a toxic work environment, a place where she no longer felt appreciated or fulfilled.
The most recent day at work had been extremely difficult. Grace had always thrown herself tirelessly into her work, yet her efforts once again went unnoticed and unrecognized. She felt belittled and disregarded by Bruce and was beginning to become not only further depressed but bitter.
Today had been one of the worst days she could remember. On the drive home, her tears flowed, and her anger grew. Bruce, in a meeting with the CEO, took full credit for the successful marketing conference Turks had put on in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about thirty miles from York, where the company was located. The conference brought in three new clients, which would hopefully bring in six figures annually for the company. It was Grace who organized and oversaw the conference, who called and spoke with dozens of leaders across Southern Pennsylvania, who sent out invitations, and who created a social media presence around the conference that received the highest analytics of any previous campaign.
As a woman of faith, Grace found solace and comfort in her relationship with God. She turned to prayer in times of distress, seeking guidance, strength, and compassion. Tonight, it was no different. With a heavy heart, she bowed her head and began to pray, but tonight's prayer was something special and would have ramifications beyond what Grace could possibly imagine.
Not everyone understands the power of an unselfish prayer, a prayer that follows the carpenter who voiced the words, as he hung on a wooden cross between earth and sky: "Father, forgive them." Grace's prayer that night was endowed by this power; some would even say magic. Christians might explain it by saying her prayer was inspired by the Spirit, and such prayer can move mountains.
That night Grace prayed, not for herself, but for her tormentor. "Dear God," Grace began, her voice trembling with emotion. "I come before You today with a heavy burden on my heart. You know the challenges I face at work and the mistreatment I have endured from Bruce, my boss. I ask for guidance and strength to persevere through these difficult times." Wiping away her tears, she whispered. "But, Lord, today I want to lift Bruce up in prayer. I don't believe he knows what he is doing to the team. I pray you will bless him abundantly and show up powerfully in his life."
Grace continued, thinking only of Bruce, "Father, I ask that You fill Bruce's heart with true joy and peace. Help him find fulfillment in making a positive difference in the lives of others, in using his position to uplift and empower those around him. Help him see beyond himself. Open his eyes to the impact he can make, not just in the company, but in the lives of those around him." She paused, taking a deep breath, and then added, "Lord, I do not ask for anything for myself. I only pray for Bruce's transformation and his ability to become a compassionate and Influential Leader. May he experience your love and grace like never before."
As Grace's prayer left her lips, across town Bruce was exiting the office and getting into his new forest green Jeep Wrangler, a recent purchase he made after receiving his promotion. As Bruce pulled out of the parking lot, snow fell softly to the ground, blanketing the lawns and sidewalks outside the homes he passed. It was beautiful. Christmas was around the corner, only three days away. The office had closed Friday, for Christmas Eve, and CEO Stella Langford, in her generosity, also closed the business for Wednesday and Thursday to give the staff of Turks Marketing Solutions a five-day break to celebrate the holiday with family and friends. Bruce looked forward to being home. He especially looked forward to the annual tradition of watching The Muppet Christmas Carol with his wife and son on Christmas Eve.
As Grace said "Amen" from miles away, Bruce's Jeep sputtered to a halt in front of The Old Dominion Theatre on Main Street. Bruce knew the theatre well because of its connection to America's Civil War. Bruce was an avid reader and enthusiast about anything that dealt with that turbulent time in the country's history. His heightened interest in the era was due to his father's many stories. His father took him to the battlefields across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. They visited many of these hallowed grounds together, including Antietam, Manassas, Gettysburg, New Market, and Appomattox. He especially loved visiting Harper's Ferry, where his mom and dad's ashes were spread in the cemetery above Jefferson's Rock, overlooking the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.
What fully connected Bruce to the 1860s and the Civil War was a family heirloom that hung in his living room. It was a ring carved from a soup bone by his great-great-great grandfather Solomon Lyter, who fought for the Union and was captured by the Confederacy at the Second Battle of Winchester. He was taken to Libby Prison in Richmond, where he whittled his time away carving the ring and dying the geometrical shapes carved into it red, using letter sealing wax. It would be a gift for his wife. A picture was framed on the wall next to the ring, along with the book, Leather & Steel by Larry B. Maier, which told the story of the Twelfth Pennsylvania Calvary unit in which Lyter rode and its battles across the state of Pennsylvania.
Thus, Bruce was familiar with The Old Dominion Theatre. Before the Civil War, it had been a local tavern called The Union House. It had been a very popular establishment providing food, drink, and lodging to travelers and locals alike. In June 1863, the Confederate Army had taken York and was preparing to cross the Susquehanna River to overtake Lancaster before moving on to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Several hundred Union troops who had retreated from York joined the Pennsylvania militia and tried to hold the Confederate army back even though they were outnumbered by a thousand men. The decision was made to destroy the Wrightsville-Columbia Bridge, sparing Lancaster and slowing the Confederate Army's advance toward Harrisburg.
Before the Union Army was able to destroy the bridge, there were many casualties in the battle. Some of these were brought to The Union House, where a makeshift hospital was established and the wounded Union troops were treated. Years later, The Union House was bought and transformed into The Old Dominion Theatre, now open on special occasions for movies and shows, but open daily to share with visitors the local area's Civil War history.
The lobby of The Old Dominion was filled with photographs depicting scenes from the Civil War, including images of soldiers, the aftermath of battles, and significant historical figures who visited the area. Artifacts, including rifles, swords, uniforms, personal belongings of soldiers, and medical instruments used during the time, were displayed in glass cases. Several important letters and...
