Wednesday, November 29, 2006

SADNESS

I received a very vitriolic letter yesterday from someone who is very angry at the church. I was singled out as being a liar and tagged with other unkind labels. Sadly, our church has invested much in this individual and these accusations are especially painful.

I shared with my staff later in the morning about the grieving process i went through, and continued in this morning. There is the unavoidable checking of ourselves when we have been accused. I tried not to be defensive and to be open to any hint of truth in the charges made against me. I chose not to share the letter with anyone else becasue unkind statements are made against other brothers and sisters which I know are not based in fact.

I reminded myself that we had done our best.

Does such a conclusion that absolves me of guilt mean that (a)I can't do better or (b)I can't learn from such hurtful situations. Of course not.

But I have learned I can't control how people react. I must be accountable to God--and I can, volitonally, be accountable to my staff brothers.

In the end, I am left to my thoughts and to my sadness.

1 comment:

Kitty said...

As we all learned growing up, you can't please everyone all the time. An unfortunate lesson to learn repeatedly throughout life. The Lord gave you the position you have because of all the good you have done for so many people, including me. You are a blessing to many. This unhappy person, in comparison, is one in a million. May God bless them and walk them through this uninformed "truth" they believe.