BRIGHTNESS AFTER LOSS
Our lives are filled
with losses, not that they should keep us from accomplishing what we want to do
nor destroy our joys. Do we allow losses to defeat us, to make us frustrated,
to make us sad? Does our dour expression show itself to others? Are we capable
of seeing some brightness at the end of the tunnel of loss? In the following
three stories from my life experiences I want to show that brightness does come
after loss. I hope you will see this in the stories.
Story #1 Earning Money for School
I had just finished
high school and was looking forward to my next year—studying at the local Bible
Institute. A close friend and I were able
to find work in Vancouver, with a firm constructing an addition to a school.
This seemed too good to be true. We had rides to the jobsite, excellent pay,
and camaraderie with the carpenters. We, of course, were lowly labourers! After about two weeks on the job, a union
rep. showed up to check on things. He informed us that we needed to join the
union if we wanted to remain on the job. After he left, our superintendent told
us to head out to the union office, including bus route directions. We left
immediately and soon were standing in line at the union office. After about an
hour’s wait, we were served. We filled out the paperwork, paid our dues, and
headed back to the site. We quickly went back to work. When the end of the day
came, our superintendent came to see us. He informed us that we were no longer
needed; he handed us our pay cheques and left. What??? We were very frustrated and quite angry. Why
in the world did the superintendent send us to the union office, knowing that
this would be our last day?
Very dejectedly, we sat
in the vehicle taking us home. What now? Both my friend and I needed work in
order to pay for next year’s schooling. My friend got a call from an
acquaintance up in Prince George, BC. A job was available, but only for one
person. My friend left, I stayed behind. Sunday came a few days later, and I,
rather glumly, went to the service. I do not remember the service, but I do
remember what happened after. One of the church leaders came to me stating he
wanted to chat with me. We sat down on the raised brick work (around some
flower beds). He asked me how I was doing. What a time for such a question?
After blurting out my frustration, I was asked if I would like to work with him
doing bricklaying tasks. Without hesitation, I gave him a resounding “yes” and
asked when he wanted me to start work. His comment was, “Tomorrow, if you want
the job.” Next morning he picked me up and we went to a local job site. I was
his only employee. He took the time to explain the processes of mixing mortar;
of maintaining his “mud box” at a certain level; of bringing the bricks from
the stack. He provided work gloves because I forgot mine at home. I learned how
to lay bricks; how to make the different mixtures of mud; and how to keep the
bricks and concrete blocks from becoming mud stained. However, I learned much
more than that. My boss sat with me at coffee breaks, at lunch and sometimes as
we waited for a delivery of bricks. Not only was he a bricklayer, and a shoe
store owner (his wife ran that business); he was a minister in our church.
Often our breaks were filled with theological discussions. Many times the
breaks of 15 minutes became discussions of 25 or more minutes. I have treasured
these times. But, more than that, I learned much about people, about God, about
our relationships. My boss must have liked me, and the job I was doing, for he
hired me for several summers and even asked me to work some Saturdays during
the school year.
Losing a job was
frustratingly hard, but gaining a brightness to help me along life’s journey,
that was precious.
Story #2 Losing a Job Because the Boss Wanted Someone Else
Several years after Susan and I were married,
I obtained a job in Winnipeg, working as the manager of a book department
within a printing operation. This was a year out of college, so we were still
young and inexperienced. However, I had spent two years working in a bookstore
while in college. It was this experience that got me this job. I had been there
for about a year when a new General Manager came in. We worked together well.
He helped design and build a large display for conventions, etc. The Conference
for which we worked had a convention in Three Hills, AB. We packed up the
display to take to the convention. Although I was responsible for the book
display/sales table, the General Manager helped set everything up, and even
came to help on several occasions. He volunteered to take down the display and
take it back to Winnipeg. Susan and I had planned a short vacation in the
Fraser Valley, BC. We enjoyed our time with family and friends, secure in the
fact that we could go back to Winnipeg assured of a job.
What a shock when I returned! Someone else was
sitting at my desk. She indicated that this was to be “her” desk, and that she
had just started a few days ago. What now? My head was spinning. What had
happened? The general manager came in shortly after this, so I followed him
into his private office, demanding to know what was going on. He looked at me
with a smile on his face, and stated, “I didn’t think you were coming back. I
needed someone to handle that workload”
I was furious, asking how he ever got that
idea! He mumbled some response, and then indicated that I could work in a
corner of our open office area. I knew that my time here was up. I kept
wracking my brain, wondering what I had done to create this situation. Nothing
came to mind. However as the days passed, I realized that this employee was
someone special as far as the boss was concerned. I t was amazing how much time
she spent in that private office.
I immediately began looking for other work.
During that time, I saw a write-up about work at Zondervan Publishing, Grand
Rapids, Michigan. Susan and I talked about the idea of moving. I then completed
the best letter I could and mailed it to Zondervan. I really did not expect a
response. However, one morning I received a call from there. The Vice-president
of book sales was coming to Winnipeg to see me. Wow! Not the response I
expected, but very exciting for us. In a few days, he arrived. We had several
hours together discussing various issues, including getting a visa allowing us
to move and work in the United States. After our discussion, he said he would check
in the next day to gain some understanding of how we felt. I am not sure we
realized what we were doing. Susan and I hardly slept that night. The next
morning, we agreed, this adventure we wanted to take. We had breakfast with the
V-P and informed him we were ready to go south. I had originally hoped to work
in the publishing department, but with my experience mostly in book sales, this
was where I would work. I was hired to run a Zondervan Family Bookstore in
Pasadena, CA. Imagine, going from cold Winnipeg (this was the end of October)
to sunny Pasadena. What could be better?
We applied for our “Green Cards” because we
were going south as employees of an American firm. We were impatient. We spent
many days getting all the paperwork together. This was now the end of November,
and we were still in Winnipeg. In checking with the American Consulate, we were
able to pick up our visas and Green Cards in Vancouver. Because of the
Christmas rush in the Pasadena store, I flew down, without my paperwork, and
began working. Susan called a few weeks later, informing me that all the paperwork
was done. All we needed to do was signeverything in the consulate office. I
flew back, signed the papers, and then we packed our car with most of our stuff
and drove down. We arrived, and moved into an apartment I had found. We
unpacked and then went to work. Susan was expecting to make our living space
more presentable, but the Vice-President, after telling us that company policy
stated no married couples could work in the same store, asked if Susan could
help in the store!
We felt very good. This company wanted me in
their ranks. After being forced out because a general manager wanted a special
someone to have a job, we were excited for this fresh start. That letter to
Zondervan inspired a man to come to Winnipeg who wanted me (us) in Pasadena. The
darkness and frustration at the Winnipeg store brought me excitement and joy in
a completely new environment.
Story #3 Conference Downsizing meant my Job
was Gone
I left my teaching job at Bethany Bible
Institute to head up the publishing arm of the Mennonite Brethren
Conference. For me this was my “dream
job.” I had dreamed of editing and publishing since high school. Now, after
managing bookstores, teaching English and working as a publicity director, I
was finally going to work in publishing.
I truly enjoyed the work—meeting authors,
making publishing decisions, setting up book displays and sales tables—and
thought I could do this until retirement. The publishing arm of the M.B.
Conference operated under a budget, so we needed to sell books at a profit.
Because one of the desires of the publishing committee was to develop new
writers, these novices were unknown and often their works sold poorly. Therefore, I suffered with a publishing
conflict—try to get best-selling authors, or develop new authors, and then low
sales. For too many years, these slow sales were not covered by budgeted
dollars. However, many of the publications were direct Conference-requested
publications, such as a Ministers Manual, New Member Manuals, new worship
materials including new Hymnals. These too, were to be paid from sales and/or
budget.
The board under which I worked was very
supportive, and encouraged me to keep moving ahead even if there were some
financial difficulties. Then, at a Convention, a new board chair and board
members were elected. This new board wanted drastic changes made in order to
erase a deficit and start earning money. The board never indicated that I could
be replaced, so I felt secure in my task. However, the Conference set up a
restructuring commission. After some months of analysis, the restructuring
committee determined that to help the Conference move ahead, all employees
would be terminated. Wow! That meant me. How could this happen?
I was at that age, when new employment could
be difficult. I loved the business of publishing and selling books. Would I
have to give up my dream? Then, one of our authors told me that I should not
give up, but, instead I should talk to a local business person who was interested
in a publishing venture, but could use some assistance with the whole process.
I called and set up a meeting.
Soon, I
was an excited partner in a new publishing venture. The darkness and loss was replaced by
excitement and bright hope. God replaced my sorrow and loss in a most unexpected
manner!
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Sometimes we get frustrated with the way our
life turns out, and we mourn about a loss. We wonder what will become of
us—things are awful, or so we assume. Then during our darkest hours, a
brightness occurs, a hope grows inside. We wonder what this hope will bring us,
and then we realize that God was there all the time.