Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[savingdogs]

You've talked w/her once, and it didn't resolve the issue, take 2 or 3 others w/you. That's the Biblical rule. Personally, if it was me, I'd take the Pastor, and the head of the board of deacons (or elders. I know some churches call them deacons, others call them elders.) I'll be praying.

X2. Not being true to your word is not acceptable. This is a matter for the congregation, starting with the leaders. If the church truly cannot afford to pay you, then they need to have a special collection or fundraiser to afford to cover all their expenses, not expect one congregation member to volunteer all their time instead of getting paid.

They probably don't HAVE the money and need to face up to how they can cut other expenses across the board or cut programs. But it cannot be left to rest while you struggle with your unexpected bills. You fulfilled your part of the bargain. Pehaps they need to change the program so that you can help on certain days, while you are volunteering, and then on different ones let you have time to pursue a paying job, or something of the sort, a compromise. Perhaps others could volunteer on different days, with everyone taking a turn. Probably not as good as having you full time, but when expenses cannot be met, something must be changed.

Lots of people volunteer, but that is something you set aside a certain amount of your day that you can AFFORD to spare. That you are doing God's work is very admirable but perhaps you need to do it somewhere else and this is His way of showing you that. Leaders who do not keep their word should not be leaders, be they religious ones or not. I would not let it rest!

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you all for the prayers and advice about my co-worker. We had a lot of movement in the company today, many issues discussed and though I don't expect much to get done, the powers that be are aware of the situation now.

Just bringing it all into the open may make things better, who knows?

And during all the discussion, I found out that I have about 5-6 weeks of paid vacation to use this year that I didn't know about and the company hadn't informed me of! Bad news is that I lost about 2 weeks paid vacation at the end of last year because the company made a mistake.

God truly works in mysterious ways!

 

[BarredBuff]

I hear and smell a road trip in your future!

 

[Beekissed]

You are so funny! Maybe you do! Depends on if God wants me to use the money in that way or not, you know?

We'll see who is in need when it's time to make my escape.....

 

[BarredBuff]

Sounds good! Hey could you swing by my journal??

 

[savingdogs]

How fun to find out you have unexpected paid time off!

So I'm sorry, where are we in our reading? I seemed to have lost my place of where we are supposed to be.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Thanks so much for the prayers, y'all!!!

And Bee, so glad to hear how well your situation is coming along. At least you got the vacation time! That's so wonderful!

It has been some day! I do want to thank y'all again for the prayers. I did NOT go to sleep after I posted last night. I tried but it was one of those rare times that everything that is going on just kept running through my head. I was trying to cast all my cares, believe me, but I know I was still trying for at least a while past 4am.

So I only got a couple hours' sleep, went to work all ready to confront this thing. And my boss'es daughter came in to me, asked how we were doing on money, and said her mom had told her not to do anything and that she would fix it herself. I know she has tried to. I will say that. She just isn't understanding that the flat rate per month she wants to pay me isn't the hourly amount we agreed on. The daughter asked me to write it all up and she wants to pick it up in the am I think it's going to be straightened out.

I didn't have to do anything.

Praise God!!! It would be SO good if I could get what I was supposed to be paid.

It was going to be JUST enough to get by, or almost enough. But with having it continually late, well, I'm sure y'all know everything costs more if you can't pay on time or in full. So it's really been feeling like I'm drowning. I should know better than to worry, God ALWAYS sees me bailed out in amazing ways sometimes, and I've been in worse spots than this.

You know that reminds me. I've been meaning to start a special kind of journal, to remind me of the things God has done. I need to remember those things.

I could fill it with so many things. Each one like a little gift.

Two come to mind right now.

God sent me lawyers when I needed them.

I was being taken to court in another state, and the notice was late getting to me. I went to the post office (tiny town) and the one customer told me to go ahead. I needed to ask the clerk about if I mailed it this way, would it get there by this time, and other things. She asked where it was going -- the courthouse. The other customer was an attorney and told me everything I needed to know to handle the situation long-distance.

Another time I was again being involved in a legal issue regarding a house I had owned. A man came in and paid with a check, and I recognized he lived on that street. I chatted with him and commented about being neighbors at one time. He had been made aware of much of the situation and it turns out he was a real-estate attorney. He told me everything I needed to know, gave me his card, and told me to just call him if I needed any more help. I think he was prevented (maybe conflict of interest) from actually representing me, but the information he gave me was enough and I had no trouble resolving the situation.

Both of those I came out of perfectly. And who could have known the exact right person would be in the right place at the right time, and be kind enough to help me?!?!?! God is so good.

I have MANY things like that, and I need to remind myself of how many times God has sent the help I needed or answered prayers just when I need it. I should know better than to worry about anything.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Oh, and the situation is not me working FOR the church, but in a private business owned by the pastor's daughter/worship leader. It's not really the church's or anyone else's responsibility to pay me, only my boss'es. It's just hard -- well, to tell you the truth it feels outright WRONG -- to worship the Lord in church under her leading with this between us. And while I need teaching/preaching and fellowship, it has always been the worship that really feeds my soul. So a few weeks with nothing and I feel as though spiritually I'm starving.

I guess I am learning lessons about how things should be handled. It's still a sticky situation because I NEED my boss to make things right in terms of accountability. That does not mean simply "pay me my money" -- actually it's outside of the money issue somewhat. I need for her to handle this in a right way so I can worship again. I don't know how that part is going to play out, but I am hoping for restoration on her part so there is nothing between us. I hope I'm making sense there. Y'all have been MOST helpful in pointing out all that plays into that, according to Scripture. Thanks, and blessings to all!!!

 

[BarredBuff]

:bun

SD, I think we got that lost in the shuffle.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Do y'all want to try a topic or theme like Bee suggested?

 

[Denim Deb]

SA, it's not always easy. And sometimes, it involves just letting go and letting God. I know. I had a problem w/2 different people in the church. One more or less pushed me out of something I was doing, the other made it impossible for me to continue doing something I was doing. I went to both of them privately, and talked w/them. They would not budge. I could have gone to the church. The majority would have supported me. But, I also realized that in so doing, I could cause a split. And, the church was just too small to handle that. Instead, I went to God and prayed about it. He gave me peace, and I let it slide. Result? Both left the church, and I was able to go back to doing what I had been doing. Most people never knew what all happened.