Thursday, December 25, 2008

Energy Bunny Arrested - Charged with Battery

“I suppose you know what this is about”, commented the Human Resources Director as he and my boss walked me into a conference room adjacent to where I had been working during the day.

“Yes, I think I do”, I responded, feeling a touch of emotional pain as I realized that my job of thirteen years was probably over. My boss was feeling it, too.

As the Director worked through the paperwork, the conversation grew a little more relaxed. I realized this was not directly about me, but about the automotive world in general. Too much profit from trusting something that would prove not true in the end – “wealth in borrowed money”. When that was no longer available, the product no longer sold. Disciplines relating to products made for borrowing buyers, also had to slow down. Not many are ready for this. My own emotions also betrayed me. Though I congratulated myself for being on a “higher road”, I was going to miss the luxury more than I realized.

I remembered seeing signs of this deteriorating market, and warned myself by keeping “packed up”. I was able to take the right attitude, that, “every good and perfect gift comes from above”. Or, as Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord took away.” If the current situation demonstrated flaws, it was not adequately representing Him.

Even a cup from fellow employees, given in fun, seemed prophetic. "Energy Bunny Arrested - Charged with Battery"! (One of my roles had been to recycle batteries!)

It was a whole lot like someone who allowed his subconscious mind to trick him into believing that he was facing a flashing yellow light, when it was really RED, (not a “flashing red”, as in light traffic!) He turned left when traffic cleared, and suddenly realized what he had just done! He was shocked! He realized that he had not deliberately disobeyed the law, but had just forgotten the reason for traffic control. He was embarrassed, fearful, surprised and upset, realizing that it was God who had protected him from both a severe accident and/or a severe traffic fine.

People who normally enjoy the thrill of high places, do not do as well when the floor is glass underneath their feet.

All of life that “walks the heights”, so to speak, is temporary and fleeting. We, in fact, are the change agents, not the world we live in. We are the salt and light. We do not have a “continuing city” here on earth. That is yet to come. Our trust needs to be in Him!