Christians and their SPLITS

[Overcomer]

Disclaimer:  I am a Christian so I am not bashing real, authentic Christian people.........................................

Several years ago we had an employee working at the store.  He was the highest paid employee.  He went to our church.  We had a new pastor and our employee did not like him (and maybe for good reason) so he set out to have him removed from the church.  The board sided with the pastor.  Half the church sided with our employee.  It was a huge church.  Our employee would have church people into his office at work....close the door and talk church politics.  The church split and most of the people went to another church.  But not our employee.......somehow that would make him seem guilty.  He went to a different new church.

Simultaneously the Christian School (where my kids go) Board fired a couple of administrators...........our employee was mad about that..........so he got involved with that and had people from the school in his office at work (behind closed doors) and eventually there was a school split.  A new school was formed and our employee sent his son to the new school.

My mom was mad at the employee for doing all this pot stirring on her dime so she fired this man.  It was an emotional time for him.  He loved our store.

So now several years later he is opening a store similar to ours two miles away.  Right between our store and the Christian school.  About 10 of our employees have left us to go work for him.  He promises more pay, etc. 

I know my mom is a horrible leader and we have had fights for over 10 years.  I take some of the responsibility for not running a good store.......my mom and I are too busy trying to one up each other..........

BUT I am having the same anxiety I had during the church and school splits.  It feels like a divorce.  It feels like those employees who we trained and loved have left us for another person.  It seems like our former employee is out to get us.  And I wonder how he thinks he can open a business in this economy???  I have had nightmares.  I obsess.  I have applied for a lot of new jobs.  I think to myself......I am not about to go through this stupid Christian thing again....it makes me sick!!

[Leah]

((((((((( Kelly ))))))))))  "May the Lord Bless you and make His light shine upon you"

[Ami]

Dear Kelly
 I am sorry you are hurting. I wish I could add wise words, but I don't seem to have much wisdom,right now. Thinking of you and I hear your pain.   Love   Ami

[miss piggy]

Dear Kelly,

This sounds like a painful change.  I don't have much to say except this:

1. hypocrites are God's children too!  I often find myself thinking God should love me more!  It doesn't work that way even though sometimes I want it to.

2. This could be a cloud with a silver lining.  I've just spent the last couple of weeks on a very emotional family roller coaster ride (this is why I'm back visiting the board).  I found that the biggest upsets helped to push us towards a better position, a better decision about going forward together.  We couldn't wiggle out and hang on to the status quo (which sucks pretty badly). Perhaps that doesn't make sense without all my boring details, but perhaps this upset in your life will improve the current situation and lead you to make some good changes.  That is my hope for you.

in the meantime, keep both feet on the ground!  Hugs, MP

[Overcomer]

Thanks for responses............I take it back.........yes, there are often many church splits or school splits and now in my circle, a store split..............but there is one thing all three of these have in common.................our former employee......................and what surprises me is that the people who left actually listen to him after his hand was caught in the cookie jar during all those splits...................

but.......one cannot argue that my mom is a horrible retailer and everyone (but her) knows it..................she never says one positive word to ANYONE!!

But what I have to say is.............what comes around goes around..................AND you reap what you sow.  Maybe my mom is reaping what she sowed.  Maybe our former employee will fall flat on his face for opening a store to punish my mom.....