Anatomy of a Layoff

Our project was canceled a month ago and everyone was informed that they would all need to find new jobs. The lab manager worked tirelessly to find jobs in other parts of the company for as many of his people as possible. That is good, but it doesn't make any difference for those who where not fortunate enough to have the correct skill set to be selected for another job.

God was gracious and provided me with one of the few available jobs, but many of my dear friends were not selected and it hurts to think that I may never see them again. I have worked side-by-side with these people and together we engineered technologies that many said couldn't be done. Many of our designs were picked up by other divisions for their new products. This group of engineers are the best that I have ever worked with. They are intelligent, creative, and hard working. They enjoy their work and made my work enjoyable. There is something very special about working as a cohesive group, each doing their part, each helping the other, and each enjoying the other. I will miss it.

To Retire or Not to Retire, That is the Question

Hewlett-Packard,where I work, is undergoing workforce reduction, and since I'm a part of the workforce, I am being reduced. Now I don't mind reducing a little around the middle, but I kind of like a rotund paycheck. It might not be quite so bad if they were just reducing my paycheck, but this is more like a starvation diet. I've been saving up for a long time, just for such an event, but I put most of it in the stock market where it would give a nice return. The stock market had a nice return alright, it returned to the 1960 level.

I'm getting close to retirement age, but it is just a few years earlier than I planned. So what do I do? Do I go find another job where I can work for a few more years? Is there a job locally that I can get? With so many people getting laid-off, the competition for jobs is intense. Is it worth uprooting the family to work in a far off land where the people speak a different language, like Alabama or New York? Decisions, decisions.

I believe that God is actively involved in my life, In fact he is the one who got me the HP job in the first place. The most important thing for me to do right now is to discern where God is directing my life. If he is directing me to move to another city, then by all means that is what I want to do. But I don't want to run away from this situation if God wants me to stay here and trust him to take care of me and my family. For some of you, this may all sound weird, but for those of us who have have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, that is the way it is or, at least, should be. Jesus has promised to be with us through everything, and, even better, to direct us in ways that honor him. Of course, the trick is to know the ways of God so I will know what will please him. I find it much easier to know my own ways and to do what is easy and safe for numero uno. That is almost assuredly not God's way. God's ways are more challenging and more rewarding, and, usually, scarier. The Bible says, "without faith it is impossible to please God", and "the just will live by faith." So that is my plan, to trust in the power of God and to live by faith so as to please him. If I can do that, then God will take care of everything else.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. It will be an interesting time for the Bremers in the next few months.