Shocked. Brokenhearted. Humbled. Devastated. Infuriated. Confused.
Just some of the words I’ve seen used to describe the events at my workplace
yesterday. We were all directly or indirectly impacted by the change in
direction. No one left yesterday unscathed. Those who left employed felt almost
guilty for having a job. They wondered how the work would get done. They
worried about those in their work family who left with a box filled with family
photos, “job well done” certificates and Newton’s cradles. They wondered how
folks with decades of achievement and demonstrated competency could end up in
this position.
Those who weren’t so fortunate left with much weightier
thoughts. Starting over somewhere else. Paying bills. College savings for the
kids. The thousands of loving friends and family that will be asking “What
happened???” and knowing that you’ll have to recount this heart-wrenching story
over and over. If not sooner, I’m sure many woke up this morning with anger,
hatred and loathing in their hearts. They painted smiles on their faces before
dropping the kids off at school because they don’t want them to worry.
By profession and by nature, I’m a troubleshooter. I
diagnose, then I fix. It’s what I do. In scenarios like I saw played out
yesterday, I realize I can’t fix what, in many cases, was broken. This puts me
on unsteady ground.
To those folks who suffered terribly yesterday, there is
little I can do to ease that pain. For those who found themselves unemployed, I
pray that peace, comfort and opportunity comes to you quickly. I pray that your
support system kicks in and much of the weight is lifted from tired shoulders.
I pray that you grow closer to things of importance and that you allow this
temporary struggle to transform you into an even stronger servant going
forward. I pray that you don’t settle into a mindset of victim-hood that haunts
you for years to come.
I’m sure it will be wildly unpopular, but I also pray for
those tasked with making the decisions acted upon yesterday. It’s easy to vilify
those whose position is counter to our own, but I know some of these people to
be genuinely good, kindhearted souls. I pray that they sought guidance from
God before making such difficult decisions. I pray that they did everything in
their power to impact as few as possible. I pray that they made wise decisions
that they can live with. I pray that, going forward, they redouble their
efforts to serve the communities negatively impacted before moving
opportunities elsewhere.
