No painful experience in my life has occurred in a vacuum. Every really painful experience I've ever faced has involved human relationships. Personal relationships.
Today was one of those days. And I hated it.
If you've read Tim Steven's post, or Kem Meyer's thoughts - you know what I'm talking about. This has been a day of great pain at Granger Community Church. After nearly two years of frozen salaries, halted capital investments and delayed projects, the downward global economy became personal for a bunch of our friends today. Earlier today we walked through a host of challenging conversations, eliminating 8 FT roles and decreasing the hours for another 15 individuals. I hate this.
This evening my friends, our friends, are facing a reality they didn't ask for. It wasn't about their performance. It had nothing to do with their worth - they are valuable people with demonstrated purpose. Their reality is about a real economy, real impact on giving, and a real budget. They hate this.
But the truth is, I would hate this more, if I didn't hate this.
Let me explain.
If this didn't hurt, something would be desperately wrong. If there was not meaningful relationship, this wouldn't be so tough. If there was not a deep sense of love and value, this wouldn't be so painful. If there was not a rich history of life-altering, shared experiences, this wouldn't be so jarring.
But, these are meaningful relationships; there is a deep sense of love and value; there is a rich history of life-altering, shared experiences. I don't hate that.
I'm grateful for every relationship, every shared experience, the deep sense of love and value. And it hurts.
In the end, though, this isn't about me. It's about the individuals and families impacted by the termination of their positions. I hate this for them.
Pray for them. They matter to us; they matter to God.
