"Due to the slow economic downturn" in our society, I not only lost my job at the YMCA this last fall, but I also just lost my supporting church!?!?!?!
"Say what?" Yes, you heard me correctly, I have now also "lost my church". I never thought I would lose my church. :) How exactly does that happen? I know I say this with a sense of humor, but it is sad and a very odd conversation to have or to even contemplate.
What a tough decision that must have been. How do you decide something like closing down a church? Do you say... "well, there are only 20 regular members of that church and that´s not enough to keep it going"? It sounds weird to talk about "measuring" how God impacts the lives of people. Is that even biblical? I feel like it is testing God in a way. I know that we take God´s lead through prayer and petition, but.... well, I guess it´s just something that I am wrestling with a bit right now on an intellectual level.
It seems difficult to me to think about closing down a church of God. And it even makes me wrestle a bit with the decision of the YMCA to let me go. "If" I was one of the main players AND I was doing a good job... why would they let me go?
I know that Middle Management positions are typically the first to go and that is exactly what I was. And, just as I can´t imagine how hard it would be for a church synod to decide to shut down a ministry, I feel like I (at least on a spiritual level) have a greater understanding of how hard it may have been for my supervisors at the YMCA to let me go. Oddly enough, I can even say that I think I was the best choice to be let go... I am single, no debt, no children and was already contemplating a different direction for my life. God just wanted it sooner for me than I had planned.
Here is a bit from one of my journal entries:
Had my parents not brought me up teaching me that I can do anything I put my mind to, I would not have gone to college (Thanks mom and dad).
Had I not gone to the Northern Michigan Univerity, I would not have changed my major to fitness (Thanks to my two consecutive "D" grades in Chemisty that pushed me away from teaching the sciences). :)
Had I not changed my major to fitness, I would not have met Dr. Patricia Hogan (Hey Patti).
Had I not met Patti, I would not have gotten an internship at the YMCA (Hello YMCA in Marquette).
Had I not gotten the internship, I would not have gotten a full time job at the Y right out of college (Thanks Kristen).
Had I not gotten that job, I would not have moved to Lansing (Hey to my Lansing peeps).
Had I not moved to that YMCA, I would not have gone to a conference in GR.
Had I not gone to that conference, I would not have met Leanne (Hey Leanne).
Had I not met Leanne, I would not have gotten the job in Grand Rapids (Hi my GR YMCA peeps).
Had I not gotten the job, I would not have met Bob Gillette, Board Chair at WWW YMCA (Hey Bob).
Had I not met Bob, I would not have gone to Nicaragua on two mission trips (Me encanta el pias de Nicaragua).
Had I not gone on those trips, I wouldn´t have considered taking a leave of absense from the YMCA.
Had I not talked about that with my supervisors at the Y, maybe I wouldn´t have been layed off.
Had I not been layed off, I would not have had the opportunity to move to Nicaragua.
THIS is WHY it happened!
This is why everything has happened in my life up until this point. And what I choose now is leading me into the next season of life. And HOW exciting is that! Seriously I am excited! I am enjoying the moments here where I am and am eagerly anticipating each new step in each new day in the direction that I am heading. I hope you are choosing to enjoy each step that you take today because it is taking you into your next season of life!
So, as I told Dean a even just a few days after I was let go "Thank you for letting me go [YMCA]!" :)
Had my parents not brought me up teaching me that I can do anything I put my mind to, I would not have gone to college (Thanks mom and dad).
Had I not gone to the Northern Michigan Univerity, I would not have changed my major to fitness (Thanks to my two consecutive "D" grades in Chemisty that pushed me away from teaching the sciences). :)
Had I not changed my major to fitness, I would not have met Dr. Patricia Hogan (Hey Patti).
Had I not met Patti, I would not have gotten an internship at the YMCA (Hello YMCA in Marquette).
Had I not gotten the internship, I would not have gotten a full time job at the Y right out of college (Thanks Kristen).
Had I not gotten that job, I would not have moved to Lansing (Hey to my Lansing peeps).
Had I not moved to that YMCA, I would not have gone to a conference in GR.
Had I not gone to that conference, I would not have met Leanne (Hey Leanne).
Had I not met Leanne, I would not have gotten the job in Grand Rapids (Hi my GR YMCA peeps).
Had I not gotten the job, I would not have met Bob Gillette, Board Chair at WWW YMCA (Hey Bob).
Had I not met Bob, I would not have gone to Nicaragua on two mission trips (Me encanta el pias de Nicaragua).
Had I not gone on those trips, I wouldn´t have considered taking a leave of absense from the YMCA.
Had I not talked about that with my supervisors at the Y, maybe I wouldn´t have been layed off.
Had I not been layed off, I would not have had the opportunity to move to Nicaragua.
THIS is WHY it happened!
This is why everything has happened in my life up until this point. And what I choose now is leading me into the next season of life. And HOW exciting is that! Seriously I am excited! I am enjoying the moments here where I am and am eagerly anticipating each new step in each new day in the direction that I am heading. I hope you are choosing to enjoy each step that you take today because it is taking you into your next season of life!
So, as I told Dean a even just a few days after I was let go "Thank you for letting me go [YMCA]!" :)
:) I LOVE MY Y! :)
Just a few photos from my time at the Y to let you know that I think of you often and miss you!
Just a few photos from my time at the Y to let you know that I think of you often and miss you!
Photo 1:Dena checking out the game-bikes in the Strive Family Wellness Area February 2008.
Photo 2:Dean and Kim... keep up the great job running! I expect to hear that you are at least signed up for the half marathon in GR in the fall! :)
Photo 3:April and Dayna, two of my "spiritual" supporters at the YMCA. Miss you ladies.
Photo 4:Nancy and Bob. Can´t wait to see you both in November!
To all my other YMCA peeps... I don´t have photos of you all, but know that you are missed!
Well, thanks for letting me share my nostalgic moment. :)
Back to my original subject..........
La Iglesia de Paz y Esperanza (The church of Peace and Hope) in Grand Rapids was a church plant that was supported by the Reformed church, who, just like every other business and orginazation is having to do, cut the funding to my home church of 20+ people on the West Side of GR. If you think about it, please pray that these people find a good Spanish speaking church that is relatively close to their home.
I am investigating some possibilities with my home church from when I lived in Niles. But, if you would please keep this in your prayers for me. It is imperative to have a strong spiritual support as I am adjusting to this new season in my life.
Soooooooooooooooooo, what else have I been up to you ask???????
I helped to host a group called Living Waters For The World that works to bring the love of Christ to people through clean water. We were evaluating a future site in a town called El Tuma which is in the department of Matagalpa, Nicaragua.
Photo 5:Bismark (AMC Nicaragua volunteer and Landbank owner) was educating 15 community leaders from El Tuma on the LWW system.
Photo 6:This is a test of the water in El Tuma. With this particular test, the water would turn black and the bag would fill with air in 48 hours if bacteria was present. For the water in El Tuma it did it in less than 24 hours. These people drink this water!!!
This past Friday was International Day of the Worker here in Nicaragua, so I had a long weekend. I ended up going to the Island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua, which by the way, has fresh water sharks and two active volcanoes.
Photo 7:
Volcan Concepción on Ometepe Island
Photo 8:
This is a natural spring that had the clearest water ever! So refreshing!
Volcan Concepción on Ometepe Island
Photo 8:This is a natural spring that had the clearest water ever! So refreshing!
Photo 9:
Me being refreshed... and yes, I am still that white! Hey, I don´t have a ton of time to just lounge around at the beach! It´s normally too hot to just lay i the sun anyways. :)
Photo 10:
On night last week I went with my friend Greta and treated myself to SUBWAY... veggie delight, Doritos and a Canadian Dry. So yummy!!!
Me being refreshed... and yes, I am still that white! Hey, I don´t have a ton of time to just lounge around at the beach! It´s normally too hot to just lay i the sun anyways. :)
Photo 10:On night last week I went with my friend Greta and treated myself to SUBWAY... veggie delight, Doritos and a Canadian Dry. So yummy!!!
So, that is what I have been up to. Between now and mid July I am pretty jam packed. I am already booking groups for 2010, too. Just like at the YMCA, I will NEVER have the problem of not having enough work.
Well, I think that is it for now. I will probably give you another update in a few weeks. Take to and stay out of trouble.
Bendiciones (Blessings),
Beth Ann
P.S. If anyone wants to come visit, July 4-12 would be perfect, as it is semester break. I will be a bit more available that week. If there are any takers let me know. :)
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