Aftershocks

If you read the post about earthquakes (http://thechurchinsantamariaca.blog.com/2010/04/shaken-and-stirred.html) you know I prophesied there was still more shaking to come at the Mission. Sure enough, my boss got word that he was being replaced as director effective as soon as a new director could be put into place. He is understandably upset about the situation as there was no real indication that was being considered. He told me he had been asked to accept the open position of chaplain at the Mission. He has preliminarily agreed to that demotion. Interestingly enough, that would have put him in a lower position than mine according to the established hierarchy at the corporation, although I have no supervisory responsibilities. Wait, it gets better. That news in and of itself would not be blog worthy.

Earlier this week, my boss called me into his office to let me know his original understanding of him filling the open, chaplain position was not what had been decided. He showed me an email from the CEO that indicated his intention to demote each of us down one step, me to chaplain and him to Program Coordinator. Now I get to be shaken as well. (As if having a different person to report to were not actually shaking.) There is a fly in the ointment in that though. I was hired as Program Coordinator two and a half years ago and have not been offered a different position. So all the intentions in the world notwithstanding, I do not intend to be leaving that position. However, the employee handbook does indicate the company has the right to change pretty much anything about our employment at their discretion. I just think those kinds of decisions ought not be made by CEO fiat in a Christian ministry organization. I do have an ace up my sleeve though. I will use it if pressed and may use it simply because it is the right thing to do. As of this writing, that is still open for discussion. I have simply worked too hard for the past 2 1/2 years to have the rug pulled out from under me and given to someone who cannot and honestly, does not even want to do the job.


If you did not read the post just previous to this one, you may not know that we went to a wedding last weekend where God taught a spiritual lesson on how little it really takes to be a blessing to someone else. What we did not include in that post is that on the way to the wedding we had a little mishap with the car. The road was narrowing due to some construction and cones had been placed along the left side of the highway to narrow the road to one lane. Before I realized that was happening I had cones on my left and a tractor-trailer on my right. About the time I hit the gas to accelerate around the truck, I saw the line in the middle of the road disappear under its tires. I have no idea why the driver was moving to the left, but my choice was to be hit by a very large truck on the right or hit some orange, plastic cones on the left. I chose the cones. I watched four of them disappear into the front bumper before I got past the truck far enough to get back into my lane. Without boring you too much more, the car will be released from the body shop next week upon payment of $2,000. or so. Do you know John 10:10? I feel ripped off. Should we say shaken? By the way for those of who might be wondering I did speak to the situation as I was hitting the cones. I am pretty sure the words were, "Son of a." I am not sure how I had intended to finish that sentence, but the next thought was, "Oh man." and then, of course, "I wonder how much damage that did."

It looks to me like it is going to be an interesting time as the battle heats up. The events reported above almost make me think I might have been identified by someone as an enemy combatant. Were I a Marine as a couple of my friends are, I would say, "Bring it on." but honestly, I am just not quite there yet. To borrow part of a phrase, we have seen the enemy and he is not us. The enemy is a usurper and a thief. He only comes to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am simply not having it. There is a time to submit and a time to stand and fight. I am feeling more and more like this is the latter.

Being in the maelstrom does give one many different perspectives almost at once. I have already received several supportive emails and words of encouragement. One of my clients brought me a sandwich (a first for him) the other day and told me to eat it, it would make me feel better. I think it disrupted my digestive system, but I know his intentions were good. By and large my men are lined up in support of me. Time will tell if that makes any difference to any of the principals involved. I have taught them well, but if the old man raises his head these are guys who are used to getting ugly when threatened. I have yet to have anyone be less than compassionate with me and somewhere between annoyed and outraged with the whole situation. I do not know, maybe I am actually doing something right. Stay tuned and please be praying and seeking the Lord with us.