The past month has brought lots of big challenges for the Rescue Mission team. With out donations and food drives coming up shorter than anticipated we have been challenged to press harder for what in some seasons has come naturally. I’ve been forced to make tough decisions under unusual circumstances and with uncertainty about future revenue. As many of you know this may result in layoff’s of some positions if the trends continue. It’s not easy, and it’s easy to get discouraged.
Yet I know that this is not just in the ranks of those of us in the support ministries, this is also true in our programs as well, which are pressed to capacity and managing difficult situations on a daily basis. For example, Thanksgiving morning our team was busy getting breakfast out for a couple hundred guests and also hosting the Q13 television crew for a series of live interviews during their morning show when a man suffering from some unspecified mental condition began make a scene and threaten some of our staff. Frank Jackson, Joe Brochious, Randy Stiffler and the rest of the crew did a great job and handled it with their usual calm and with a sense of humor. Everybody pulled together and it all worked out.
But it’s not just our own little world that is facing challenges, it’s also our larger community. With the senseless murder of 4 police officers in Lakewood, our community is reminded of the danger that sometimes lurks. The bigger economic challenges that we are facing, not just in Tacoma but around the world, often have more uncertain elements and therefore feel more menacing than even a physical threat. This is because we are dealing with elements outside of our control and feel helpless to affect them. Yet while we may indeed be helpless in our own strength, God is always in control and is never confused about the outcome of our lives. If we are obedient and working to be honoring to Him and others in all we do or say, the Bible says we can be confident that He will work all these things out for the good.
Here’s some things I try to remember as I face challenges in my work which may be an encouragement to those of you who may be facing tough times:
Challenges Help Us Focus On Supporting Each Other. You know, when I’m going through a tough day, it feels so good to spend time with people who love and encourage me. I think we’re all like that. Yet strangely when we know someone is going through a tough time we often communicate LESS with that person, believing that they would rather be left alone. People mostly don’t want to be left alone, they just don’t want to be lectured or given platitudes and cliches to cheer them up. Want they want and need is to be lifted up with meaningful love and encouragement. I’m proud to say that I’ve notice our team lifting each other up and doing all we can to express love and encouragement to those directly affected by the potential cuts. But let’s not stop! Let’s double our efforts to encourage. If you are working in corporate America it may seem out of place to be expressing love and encouragement to those around you, but if it comes from a genuine concern it’s always the right thing to do.
Challenges Focus Us On Getting Better. When faced with challenges it’s easy to retreat and isolate yourself, but don’t do it. Turn the other way and look for ways to improve, get leaner and meet the challenge. It’s great when you can plan to improve, but when it’s forced upon us by difficulties shock is usually our first reaction. Because our work truly is live or death, we don’t have the luxury of staying in motionless, paralyzed by fear. We must pull together and find ways to cooperate to help transform more lives in the months to come. So it is in other circumstances as well. When families go through crisis they can get stuck in shock for years unless they openly talk about how they might move forward. This doesn’t mean that we just forget the problems or imagine they don’t exist. In fact, we must stay attached to reality. Otherwise we’re not going to be effective in our purpose to serve others.
Challenges Remind Us About Priorities. This senseless murder in Lakewood reminds us to make sure to love those around us, not knowing when our time will come. Economic recession reminds us that money isn’t THE most important thing. Now is the time to reorganize your life, your work, your spirit around the greatest of priorities.
For those of you who are staff at the Mission, let me encourage you that these challenging times will make us stronger, more sensitive, caring people if we allow it to. Let’s lift people up, try to improve our service to God and others, and keep our priorities straight. I’m certain that God is in control and He will make something great from the challenges we are facing personally, or that our community is facing at large. If we allow Him to lead us.
DC
