Saturday, November 8, 2008

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Thankful Thursday = Open Windows

When God closes a door, he opens a window...




Tuesday, November 4th was more than just a historic election day, it was my final day of employment with a company that I had worked for almost 12 years.


We had all expected it for months now, work was slow. The decline of our countries economic situation has affected us all no matter where we are employed. We had exchanged home addresses and phone numbers with our dear friends because we knew the end was inevitable.



And then it happened, one by one they came around to our desks and called us to the conference room that we had sat in months earlier when the first round of layoffs came. Our supervisor was so broken she could not look up from her piece of paper that so eloquently and ceremoniously advised us that this was now indeed, our last hour at our home away from home.


We would be given a two week severance pay. (Funny, you know as I typed that just now I questioned my spelling of this word. The root of this adjective is sever.) We will be able to draw unemployment and have some decisions to make about insurances and 401k investments.


The most exciting aspect of all this that is as part of the Alabama Employment Services training program, we are eligible for up to two years of paid training. Colleges are included in this! I am currently the only member of my immediate family that does not have some type of degree. The opportunity to return to school, have it paid for and then pursue a carreer I have wanted for a long time is totally God's work!


The whole situation is all still very fresh and even with all the exciting prospects for change, my heart is aching and lots of tears have been shed this week. My dear sweet coworkers are also facing new opportunities and challenges as a result of the layoff. Please pray for them and for the ones that do not have the peace of our Savior in their heart.


Later, when I can, I would like to share a little more with you about the people that have shared my days with over the last 12 years. They have all impacted my life in some way. Work is stressful, tedious and often can be unenjoyable in the wrong situation. But we spent the majority of our waking hours with some of the finest people anyone could ever be blessed to be apart of the same team.


In case you are wondering how I am spending my days now, see my next post.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008