Although Beverly Sklover stands only 4 feet 10 inches tall, she is described as a "towering presence on the telephone." She advertises in a local newspaper as "The Nudge Lady," after the Yiddish word that sounds like "noodge" and stands for a chronic and persistent nag or badgerer.

For $50 the first hour, and $40 each additional hour, she'll make call after call after call to right a wrong or get someone a refund. How does she do it? The lawyer and former New York City planner says 5 years in business have taught her that yelling gets you nowhere. "I always speak in the softest voice possible," she says. "Then people have to listen."

The Nudge Lady reminds me a little of Abigail. Her family and servants were headed for disaster (1 Sam. 25). David and his soldiers had been insulted by her husband. Faced with a crisis, Abigail became a woman of initiative. With grace and courage she appealed to David's sense of mercy. By gentleness and humility she calmed his anger, and her household was saved.

The Lord doesn't expect us to overlook all wrongs done to us. Nor does He want us to confront others with anger and insults. His Spirit can help us to be like Abigail: gentle and courageous.  — Mart De Haan