Four

We have known it was coming for some time now. Rumblings of budget shortfalls and reductions in force have been with us for a few months. Friday was the day that the rumors and guesses became concrete.

Our FLI staff of 14 was cut by four. Ouch.

We met at 9:45 a.m. to hear the news as a staff (this was after the leadership met individually with each of those who were directly impacted). Our VP was wise enough to tell us we could all go home after that meeting. Not a lot of work was going to get done after that anyhow.

Today we had an all-staff meeting (as in all of FOF, not just the Institute) to hear the big picture. A 13 percent reduction in force. One hundred ten people lost their jobs and 50 more open positions were cut. We move forward as a 750-employee organization.

This is the fifth round of layoffs I've lived through at Focus. Every one has felt like the loss of family members. I suppose I should take the fact that I'm still there after eleven years as a indication that God has a reason for me being there.

I do need to share a very mature perspective offered by my co-worker Karla (who was one of the four) and her husband Gary, who was hanging around at the end of business today. "We've been through harder times than this, " Gary says. "This is nothing compared to a crop failure."

True. Nothing compared to a crop failure.

Gary goes on to say that there was one summer back in the seventies when there were no crops at all. "All that we and our neighbors raised that year was kids."

Well, I guess you've got something to show for that, huh?

Yes we do. Yes we do.