This is a breaking news update. (I always wanted to say that.) This week, in the most recent twist of circumstances, another employee of the Central Coast Rescue Mission tendered his resignation effective immediately. He was at the bottom of the staff ladder, but may very well have been standing at least one rung higher by the time the dust settles on the situation we have been attempting to explain here lately. Now, sources tell me, he has been invited to air his concerns to people very highly placed in the larger, corporate structure. To my knowledge that would be the first time something like that has ever been invited, and certainly has been unheard of here during my tenure. It will be interesting to find out what the larger picture is in all this.
In the meantime, we had a little bit of a setback with one of the men who had made great progress in his life and was down to counting weeks rather than months before he would be finished with his program. Without going into a lot of detail, he had a bad day while on pass and decided a little beer would make him feel better. That is not a well conceived idea when the program rules offer zero tolerance for alcohol and the breathalyzers are out because of rumors about other progam clients. When he was tested upon his return from pass his blood alcohol level read 0.01, the lowest reading the machine records. In spite of my best efforts, which included a futile, forty minute phone conversation with his probation officer, an irate judge had him remanded into custody and his case moved to a different court for a probation violation under general law rather than the more lenient, substance abuse laws.
Sometimes my job is very interesting. The public defender in the general law courtroom talked with her counterpart from the District Attorney's office. The three of us then conferenced as it what I wanted as an outcome. I explained that I did not think a 0.01 BAC was worth six months in jail. As God is my witness, the ADA said, "Hell, mine is probably higher than that right now. What is your suggestion?" (No, I will not tell you which ADA that was and if you find out I will have to deny I wrote this. wink) The long and short of the story is the client exhanged 10 days in jail for 30 days away from the program for the positive test. I could rationalize that one all day long, but suffice it to say whenever we have to deal with different judges and different attorneys than we normally do, we take what they are willing to give us. There was definitely, also an overriding good in this one. Let me explain.
The client under discussion has a fiance and three children. His testimony coming back from county jail is that God was working through him to minister to men he never thought would listen to anything about Jesus. He was glowing when I picked him up from the courthouse. I also had a few conversations with his fiance about the situation. She did a complete about face on life in the past couple weeks. We talked about it in some detail and she understands she had not been partnering with him in life. Nothing she did changes the fact he has to decide at some point, as his probation office told me bluntly, he cannot drink alcohol. By the way, I did send an email to the probation officer thanking her for standing her ground and allowing him to go to jail. It has all worked out for the glory of God. Just another indication of the truth of Romans 8:28 that all things end well for those who love God.
While all that is going on, I am being invited to meet with the Executive Vice President and the Personnel Director on Friday of this week. I have no idea what they may propose, but I have, more or less, designed the outcomes that would be acceptable to me. The net result will probably be in the range of nothing changing for me to me being unemployed on Saturday. The Holy Spirit told me a couple months ago that I am bulletproof. I will be employed at the mission as long as the Lord is pleased to have me there. I have actually now become howitzer proof. Nothing except God can move me out. I just have to make sure I do not overstay the intended time and end up with something less than a gracious exit. While He is working all things together for good, God sees that benefits accrue to everyone involved who is walking righteously. Trust me, I have been on the other side of this equation and it is much better to be right and to have a righteous cause than to be chopped down for trying to impress one's own will on a given situation.
As a final note, some have wondered about Jon. I visited him yesterday at the county jail. We all thought he would be off to state prison by now, but it is beginning to look as though he may not end up going at all and/or if he does, it might not be for nearly as long as he had thought. He showed us several pictures of his beautiful baby girl and insisted she is helping motivate him to become the man God has intended for him to be. I believe he is serious and resolute in his stance and I know he has the knowledge and ability to do the right things in the future. God truly does all things well. Obviously, more to come later. God bless.
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