Bureaucracy Stinks Grace Abounds

Bureaucracy.... Now, let's all just take a deep breath.

If you are anything like me, then even the word can get your blood pressure on the rise. Mine started climbing when I realized that the bank account I opened to receive my salary here in Russia would not suffice. I have to go through the process of opening another bank account so that I can receive my wages. Why? Well, as evasive as the answer can often be to that question, I do have one in this case! My visa lapsed during my recovery from surgery and my new visa has my name spelled differently than the last time. That is the short and sweet answer.

The good news is that I, with the help of my dear friend, had discovered that I can open an account at a much more convenient bank that would actually let me have an bank card rather than using the old bank-booklet system of the previous bank. Hurray! Not so fast...

As I mentioned, Lena helped me by calling the bank to find out all the required documents and steps. She was very thorough and we knew what had to be done - backwards and forwards. (Thank you, Lena!) So, we tricky trotted on down to the closest branch....

Walking in, you get the feeling that you could order a Happy Meal here rather than open a bank account, but I digress. A young woman met us at the door. Customer service! This is nice. She asked what we needed and we explained. We produced all the necessary documents, or so we thought. We thought wrong....

On top of everything else, I needed a notarized, Russian-translated copy of my passport. Crazy thing is - I HAVE ONE! I could have brought it and would have, but it was not among the list of needed documents that the bank employee listed on the phone. We told the girl this. She just started at us. She repeated the demand. I, again, communicated that it was quite frustrating to call the bank, find out what we needed, only to find out that the bank employee misinformed us. She answered, "You didn't talk to me! I would have given you the correct information." Thank you, miss!

On my walk home to retrieve the document, I tried to analyze why I was so upset and what I really wanted from this woman. I was not so upset that a mistake had been made. I was not seething about a stupid little trip to my flat to retrieve the document. I was frustrated that she didn't just say, "I am sorry that we made a mistake." Why is that so hard to say?

I think that it is because we live in an unforgiving world. Whether you are a doctor who misdiagnosed the disease or a husband who forgot to get milk on his grocery run, if you admit a mistake the assumption is that you will have to pay for it. "I am sorry" just isn't enough.

This is what makes grace so very amazing. In a world where any mistake can result in a law suit or tantrum, God stepped in and took all of those mistakes upon Himself and brought them to justice himself. He extends grace. If we accept it, He doesn't demand retribution. Instead He desires love.

I re-entered the bank. The young woman was nervous as we approached her this time. I told her that I had the document. I also told her that grace abounds. She smiled sheepishly and apologized.

I am so glad that it is true for me, too. Grace abounds.