Freely Speaking with Karen

I was the Director of Outreach and Care Ministries at a mega-church. This was an amazing position managing thousands of Christian volunteers in hundreds of local outreach needs. I was able to call upon volunteers in an instant during local events and emergencies. Second to God, I loved my church family more than anything.

 The associate pastor and the church secretary called me into his office one day. I was told my hours would be immediately reduced from 60+ per week to only 6, and I would be demoted from my current position to a clerical one. I was stunned and crushed. I asked what I had done wrong. The secretary spoke up and said I was the least important part of the staff. She said there was nothing for me to do but to step aside quietly. I thought only my managing pastors could have done this, and all my reviews had been positive. My tears came, and I had no control over them as I staggered out. I suffered a massive breakdown, landing me in the hospital for two weeks. Because of church confidentiality, I couldn’t talk to anyone about what had happened. I later heard that the church secretary had become jealous of me and convinced the associate pastor to affect this outcome. I felt like someone I loved had died.

Even in the worst of circumstances, God wants us to be thankful. The Bible says we need to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV). The word “ALL” is key.

It isn’t easy to give thanks when we’re hurting during hard times. The more we focus on things to be thankful for each day, the happier we become. To start, we have a God who has loved us since before time began. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and save us from an eternity of torment. With this thankful outlook, suddenly, my own trials seem very small.