"Occupied" Because of my Occupation

OCCUPY PORTLAND --- OCCUPY BANK DAY

Where do I even begin? As I am trying to writing this, tears are filling in my eyes. This is my story...

October 6, 2011 A movement called Occupy Portland was formed. That day a protest march was held in downtown Portland where thousands gathered. I was at work and leaving for a mission trip to Haiti for the second time this year the next day. I had to pack, and needed that time after work to get home and prepare for my trip since I was leaving that next morning. The march blocked traffic and halted the max lines which is my means of transportation to get home. I was definitely a tad stressed out, but did get home and packed in time. I remember thinking how I was glad I was leaving for all of this craziness, and that I would come home to everything being back to normal. No idea HOW WRONG I would be. I returned home on October 15th and the news was still covered with protesters, but now they were camping in Portland's public parks refusing to leave. I work across the street from where these "camps" were at. I could see tarps and tents through the windows of my work. My heart sunk and truthfully a bit of anger started to stir in my heart each and every time I looked out the window. Here I was in Haiti-- the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere where people ARE SO POOR that they HAVE NO CHOICE but to live in tarps and tents, while people in the USA are CHOOSING to live that way, claiming they are "POOR." Almost half of the worlds population lives off of about $2.50 a day. So if you are out protesting holding a cell-phone, starbucks, or clothes on your back, I just have a really hard time feeling anything for you. It is my belief that most people in this country can not fathom what true poverty is. People think Portland's unemployement rate is high? Try Haiti, which is over 80%. And they do not have a government that offers umemployement, welfare, social security, or food stamps to help those in tough times. WE ARE BLESSED, even in the midst of the hard times in our economy right now. If we have clean drinking water, food on our tables regardless if it is top ramen or prime rib... WE ARE BLESSED! If we have a roof over our head, regardless if it is an apartment, our own house, or a homeless shelter... WE ARE BLESSED! It breaks my heart to see our country dividing like this with resulting to damage of property and the beauty of our country, costing millions in tax-payers money, and ending in violence and with hatred and complete disrespect to one another. I think Americans are blinded by the reality of what most the world is like and just how good even the poorest people in America have it.

Tuesday November 15th... We were made aware that there was going to be "Occupy Bank Day" taking place. Yes that is right, I work at a bank in the heart of downtown Portland. We were told of the various things they were planning. We had a conference call on how to respond to the matter if it happens. I sent out a status on facebook the night before it was to take place asking for prayers for all the bank employees around the Portland area and their safety on this day. When writing that I honestly did not think my branch would be the one targeted and those prayers were more for others than myself.

Occupy Bank Day was October 17th, 2011 and there I was at work around 12:00pm when our branch started to get busy... unusually busy. I knew what was about to happen. We were being "occupied." People were there we had never seen, and all "waiting" for something. I was completely anxiety ridden and had a bit of anger as well as I waited to see how everything played out. Out of the blue it became a flash mob of the sorts and they started ranting, chanting, yelling and singing all sorts of things trying to disrupt things. They refused to leave. We called the police which took them over twenty minutes to arrive. When they did, over twenty officers one after another walked in the doors. Let me say one thing about those protesting inside. They were the only ones who remained peaceful, and with no such anger towards us. They even stated that they were not directing anything towards us as employees but the corporation itself and they would remain peaceful towards us. I praise and thank the Lord for that and keeping my staff and I safe until the police did arrive. The crowd of protesters outside had gathered and was at least over three hundred and only growing in large numbers. They were banging on the windows so hard I thought they would break. Reporters surrounded us in live coverage from the outside. People outside were screaming, chanting, and yelling at us through the windows, many with hatred and anger. Yelling profanity and flipping us off repeatedly. I do not know about you, but profanity any time I hear it is like a knife through my heart. It affects me so deeply each and every time I hear it. Some of the crowd shouted at the us bank employees to come join them on the outside, some were definitely glad to have a chance to vent their anger (almost) face to face. "How much does your f****** sweater cost, was what one woman yelled at me through the glass. My adrenaline was pumping to the max and I was shaking, but held my composure through the entire process. I didn't really have time to process any of what was happening while it was all happening. Eventually all nine of the protesters inside were arrested for trespassing and carried out by the police since they refused to walk. An American flag outside our building was taken down and put back up upside down to hang. I sat back staring out the windows and watching everyone around me with so much anger and my heart just broke inside. Anger being directed towards me and my staff for what? Working, and paying taxes? Trying to make a living for ourselves? Many have said it was not directed specifically to us, but I beg to differ. I tried to eat, but I could not stomach anything. We decided to stay open because the whole point of the movement was to "shut banks down" and we did not want them to succeed. Around 3pm, the protesters returned. This time even though there were less of them, they were even more angry and mean towards us. They continued banging on our windows, screaming at us, flipping us off, spitting and telling us to "F*** off" amongst other things. My building went into lock down again. The protesters started taking pictures of me and my team members with their phones and even an iPad. (Apparently poor people have enough money to buy iPads and iPhones.) Fear started to set in. Why would anyone want or need pictures of us? We ended up shutting down an hour early. I had to tell my staff to make sure they remove their name tags before leaving, out of fear of their safety. Sad isn't it? I walked to my car, and I think I went into shock. I got inside and the tears started streaming down my face. I lost it. (Seems to be a theme in my life right now.) My head was spinning from the events that took place and all the things that I watched unfold. I wish I could use words to describe how it was, but nothing will do justice, and neither did the news coverage. In that moment, I just wanted Jesus to come and take me home. All of a sudden, Chris Tomlin's song came on... "I Will Rise." I just love my God. There couldn't be a more fitting song to give me hope in the midst of this chaotic crazy world. Here is the lyrics if you do not know the song...

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/christomlin/iwillrise.html

It is now Saturday and I am still shaken up inside about things. Windows were broken, our ATM was super-glued so it was rendered unusable, and paint on windows. I have no anger inside, just complete sadness. Friday morning on my way to work, I was praying for things to PLEASE be back to "normal." I don't remember the exact moment it hit me but it was as if the Lord was saying, "Nicole, you have now had a small glimpse of what I went through." Jesus was persecuted for being the perfect man, loving to all, spending His life on Earth trying to change peoples hearts, loving them where they were at, and yet He was HATED, spit on, screamed/yelled at, tormented by his own people, and beaten left hanging in naked shame on a cross to die with everyone watching. What I went through was NOTHING compared to what He did, and I promise I am not trying to compare it. It is something we as humans can not even fathom the magnitude of. Here I am left hurting inside, broken and shattered, so affected by people through windows that I do not even know. I can not even imagine what Jesus experienced knowing each and every person, and loving them so deeply, yet they rejected Him. I do not know if I went through this experience to get a VERY SMALL glimpse of what Jesus experienced, but if for this reason, I am blessed. Blessed that Jesus has chose me to feel a tiny inkeling of what He went through. To remember this moment and be thankful now and in the future for what He did on the cross for me, redeeming me from all the sin I have in my life past present and future. I believe this was His way of strengthening me for those times that lie ahead in which I am persecuted for my faith. To remember that when we ARE persecuted to remain humble and not let our anger come out and instead react in love. We are called to be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14) This was a way for me to show humility. This was a way for me to allow others to do wrong to me, with not just cause and instead of lashing back in anger, to PRAY for them. My brokenness led me to be praying for all of them. They are obviously lost, hurting and in dire need of Jesus. That is not how, in my past, I have reacted to those who do wrong to me. God is obviously working in my heart in major ways. I also believe that He had me experience this to help me never forget what He went through FOR ME. To know and feel the blessing of what the cross really is and means. God never fails to keep showing me things and working in me in ways I never imagined. He is so good, and He works all things out for His good purpose-- just as He has this.

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven. Matthew 5:16

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours." John 15:18-20

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can PRAY. Above all, LOVE each other deeply, because LOVE covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:7

In Him,
Nicole Elizabeth