In the Prologue of his book Healing Your Church Hurt, author and former pastor Stephen Mansfield poignantly describes what happens when a seemingly idyllic Christian church relationship suddenly turns sour:
“Then it happened and you’ve been running the facts over and over again in your mind. There was the turning. Perhaps you should have seen it coming. There was a change in spirit . . . And the stormy season came. . . . The storm spit you out like a slowing tornado in Kansas and you have never been the same.”
Since our ministry downsizing or vocation loss we’ve tried to move on, but may find it difficult- if not impossible- to let go. We wish we could reclaim who we were before our loss, but we don’t want to revisit that hurtful time and place. God knows how much we are hurting.
At this point Stephen Mansfield simply asks us to agree that we are not as we should be. He likens that realization to having a splinter:
“It is as though there is a splinter working its way to the surface, only the splinter is in your soul.”
Once we agree that we are not whole and haven’t been since our loss, we can begin to turn our hearts toward healing.
Today’s question: How accurate is Stephen Mansfield’s description of the turning point of your ministry downsizing or vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Let go of the candy bar!”
