December 30, 2006
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Good Bye 2006
Who moved my cheese? This is a book that all employees in the Qwest Channel Partners division were given back in 2001. It depicts certain mice that continue to go back to the same place they have become accustomed to for cheese long after it has moved. The point of the book is to recognize when your cheese has moved and start looking in a new place. This is a hard thing to do when you have been getting so much cheese for so long in the same place.
The native Americans that lived in this country were nomads before the white man stole the land. They hunted in an area until the majority of the animals were killed off and then moved to another area. The tribes that flourished the most were constantly moving and enjoying the spoils of nature that were in the new lands. They knew that their survival was contingent on their mobility and ability to adapt to new surroundings. When they moved from an area, it had time to replenish and eventually another tribe moved back and the cycle repeated itself.
Much is the same in business. The same cycles repeat themselves and those that are agile and move from place to place are rewarded. The trouble is that the average Joe doesn’t like change and holds onto the past with a vengeance. We don’t like change and will spit in the eye of wisdom and stay in the same place long after all of the resources are depleted. The tribes that practiced this have long since passed into oblivion. Those who were willing to move on and roll with the punches will always survive.
All of this is the prelude to my farewell to 2006. There were a few significant changes that occurred in my life:
1. We sold our church property to Walmart so we could build on our new property on the freeway. I was one of the 7 men who unanimously agreed that God was pointing us to a new era in the life of our church. After much prayer, we determined that this was the right thing to do for the body of believers that worship together. We turn the property over to Walmart the third week of February. What is left of the building that we don’t take with us will be demolished for a Walmart Super Center. This will be a major change in our lives but I do believe there is a reason for us taking this leap of faith.
Regardless, there is much pain in this significant change in our lives. Cyndie and I were married in this building over 25 years ago. We had 3 magnificent boys while in this building. I personally baptized all 3 boys in this building. The oldest J married his lovely wife in this building. I baptized numerous relatives and friends in this building. We attended countless functions with friends who are no longer on this earth. Even knowing that eventually everything will return to dust does not ease the pain in change of this significant part of our lives. The building is not the church but only a building but this still doesn’t provide much comfort in the face of such a significant change
2. The owners of the company I worked for the last 5 years sold out to a corporate entity. That company bought our largest competitor and we have been in the process of merging with them for the last 6 months. Under the private ownership, I was responsible for most of the operations of the company. Under the current situation, my duties are being delegated to one new hire after another. There are at least 10 people who are now doing the same work I was doing at the beginning of the year. Nuff said about this.
3. I was received a calling to build a retirement community for Americans down in Honduras. The groundwork has been laid for this project and the next step is for the money to drop in my lap. This is exactly how the next step will occur and the timing is up to God.
As for welcoming in the new year, I have decided to break the invisible chains of doubt that have bound me. I have spent too much of my time getting agreement on matters where the direction is obvious to me. Gone are the days of lying in wait until everything lines up to surmise what I saw at the onset of decision making processes. There have been too many instances where I can see what needs to happen immediately but others are slow to come around. I will henceforth be asserting my opinions with gusto and forcing issues I have allowed to play out in the past.
I have already taken steps to live into this new me and the results have been amazing. Alignment has been waiting for me to assert. Who would have thought?
Welcome 2007!
