From the Desk of Murray Lincoln: When Bad Happens

Craaytech is belly up… so what?! The news came across our TV first. I had driven by the company many times never thinking much about the place or what it did for business. Yesterday I found out.

143 people working there make plastic parts for the automobile manufacturing companies. And in our area the manufacturing of automobiles is dead stopped for at least 6 weeks… and when they are dead stopped – nothing is ordered. So Craaytech had no more orders and no more business means no more money to pay staff.

Many people will drive by today with new understanding of the company – but so what?! Does it really matter to the rest of us?

Something special was dropped into my understanding two weeks ago. I have been mulling it over for a while now.

Among unemployed people the divorce rate and separation rate is very high. People that have left their jobs due to shut downs and lay offs and things like the Craaytech events – have an unusual rate of marital problems. And further to that – people starting new businesses and new ventures also see the same amount of marital problems.

Yikes! Pressure has nearly killed them. It is killing their relationships and will tear their family to bits.

I have gone through this stage in my own life – lay off, loss of a job, loss of who you are… and stress is real. I am a minister as you will know by now – having read the bio at the side of this page. I have dealt with this kind of thing all the time – professionally – but personally it is a different story. It is very stressful.

In our personal case – the “new stress” is far less than the “old stress” of working in a pressure cooker place worrying about everything and carrying unlovable burdens. In fact the “new stress” feels good.

Our community is suffering as more and more companies are pressed to the edge. More and more people are losing their jobs with businesses closing.

Our local United Way chair person made a statement that is very interesting. He stated that if every person in the Peterborough area would give $5 – the United Way would reach its 2009 campaign goal. That would mean – every person – man, woman and child.

The fact is that the United Way folk across our country have watched a rapid and very strong decline in given.

Last week my wife and I were into the Government Office that deals with E.I. (Employment Insurance) and other Federal departments. The waiting room was full of people needing help and information. Six months ago I sat where each of them are sitting today. The numbers are growing each day. Before, on any day, there were lots of seats. This past week – every single day, every single seat was filled… and people were standing at the walls.

Our communities are in trouble.

I write today to express my personal concern for 143 people newly laid off and out of a job. Where will they go? Will I see them at the E.I. office on my next visit? Add to this group two weeks ago another factory has also announced their plant is closing. Still more people will be lined up in that same office.

Where is the church….?
Our local churches are feeling the crunch as well. The ones that rely on the older and more stable congregants are running fairly smoothly. The only thing that affects their running ability is death. The younger based church that relies on younger people, is really feeling the slow flow. After speaking with a person in the know in a church of this make up – it is their kind of people that are losing their jobs – when the cut backs come.

Someone said to me, “Maybe the downturn and the economic problems are a good thing. When it happened in the past – people came back to God… or to church.”

That may be true in the past – like in the “dirty thirties” – but in the tough 2009 era we have E.I. and Government assistance for at least 41 weeks before you need to worry – then we can move to Alberta or Saskatchewan. “Church…? God…? is that a program that will help me? I have never heard of them.”

We attended a wonderful church last week. Their songs were good, their music lively, the order was great… it was a just right church. But before we finished the service we heard of all the people that had trouble… sick… unemployed… dieing… and not able to work again. Even the minister was in bad shape physically and not able to attend church for over two months.

Three things in closing that I have come to realize…
* Be thankful for what you have in your job right now.
* Be diligent to make your company the best and most secure working place.
* Be ready for different days to come – things could change in a hart beat.
* Be looking for some outside help before “Bad Happens”– God is interested in your application and tends to not have long line ups.

~ Murray Lincoln ~