Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Relate to this...


One thing about being laid off is that you find yourself in a very different daily social routine. The people you say hello to every day at work are no longer a part of your life. Your work friends may be just your work friends or they may be lifelong friends that you met through work. I am a relational person - it is just the way I am made. My relationships are important to me.  Changes in my relationships can be hard.

In my position at the Archdiocese I developed allot of relationships with volunteers, Clergy and parish staff as well as friendships within the corporation. It feels strange to be abruptly separated from them, yet that is the way it is. I geographically live 50 miles from my old job so I don't envision maintaining casual relationships but I do see myself maintaining the life-giving and fruitful friendships I have made through people I have met through work.

Just when I was feeling the brunt of the separation from my relationships through work I read an excerpt from my friend Kelly Wahlquist's new book. It is all about relationships!  It is not due to be published until early in 2015 but she was able to share with me a chapter that was put together as a promotion from the publishing company.  As fate would have it this chapter dealt with her own separation from a previous job and her fear of loosing the relationships she had built. In it she says, "My heart sank and my stomach literally ached as I envisioned friendships, embedded deep in my heart, coming to a sudden halt." 

The timing of sharing this was providential. I feel your pain sister!  I remember experiencing similar feelings when I started working in St. Paul - though I did not feel it as abruptly.  I have many friends in my hometown of Faribault but by taking a full time position with a an hour commute each direction - I was not easily able to connect with the Mom's groups and maintain the casual connections with the people I know in my home town.  I found that I stayed connected with the ones that mattered. I may have had to find new ways to stay connected. I also made new connections.  I have no doubt that the same will happen now.  I will keep and maintain some relationships I have made through my past work but I also have an opportunity now to rekindle some old friendships,strengthen some budding ones and be open to the friendships I am yet to have. 

Change can be hard, but I am comforted by the words in Paul's letter to the Hebrews: Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. 
What's that old song? You got a friend in Jesus....  :)

If you are interested in Kelly's book on relationships it can be found HERE. 

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