Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Black Sheep of the Family (10/03/13)
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TITLE: Corporate Controller | Previous Challenge Entry
By Tim Pickl
10/06/13 -
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This is why I haven't called you for a long time. I really really miss our chats on the phone, but since I cannot call you, I just wanted to write and let you know what happened to me.
As you probably remember, I finally landed a job in a "great" company. I was so excited when they hired me, because I would be part of a talented team: I would learn much from them, and I knew I had much to offer them in return.
At first, the manager treated me like family, and it seemed like we were all getting along great. I was integrated into the team, and I really did feel like one of the family. But, after around 6 months, the honeymoon was over and things began to change. My manager’s mask came off and he started treating me badly. He micromanaged my every move, every decision, every detail of everything I did. When I made the smallest mistake—a "mistake" in his eyes—like calling in sick, for example, he bullied me. He called me into meetings after my "mistakes"—with an HR (Human Resources) representative present—to interrogate, warn and intimidate me. He was so slick and smooth he had HR bamboozled to think I was "the problem and needed correcting."
My manager turned all of my co-workers against me, too. That awesome team, group, family—whatever you want to call it—started treating me like a black sheep. I literally hated going to work and Mondays were my worst days. All of my co-workers wore plastic masks of pleasantry, but would constantly stab me in the back in via their evil little instant messaging network. Plus, my peers were forced by our manager to spy on me. Their insidiousness and lack of compassion—all fueled by the apparent hatred emanating from our manager—absolutely amazed me.
Things went on like this for the past two years.
As time went by, the more intimidated I became, and the more I made more "mistakes". Some weeks, it seems like I spent more hours being interrogated than actually working. Finally, there was a tipping point. The disappointment I felt toward them all mounted, which led to disdain which triggered a deep-seated clinical depression. I call it the 3D Effect: disappointment + disdain = depression.
I ended up in the hospital with a 3D nervous breakdown.
The Chaplain here reached out to me and immediately we had a connection. He sensed I was a Christian who was hurting and I just needed some tender loving care. He testified he went through the same thing I did. Once—he, too had a boss when he worked at a hospice who was bi-polar; in his case, she treated him as nice as any good sister, and then turned him with an almost violent-venom. He went through a nervous collapse and it affected his sleep and health.
I told him just last evening, "Hey that sounds like me. What did you do? "
He answered, "I prayed, of course. And God answered the prayer by sending me someone who had gone through a similar trial. Ultimately, my job changed and I ended up here. See, God’s Word in Romans 8:28 tells us clearly: …we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. God sent me here to you. I sensed it when I met you for the first time."
I wept.
At that point, the Chaplain gently placed his arm around my shoulders and wept with me. I felt God’s presence and peace cover me like a thick warm blanket on a cold winter morning. The healing began inside of me, and the depression left.
I told my new friend the Chaplain, "I am still afraid of facing my boss. I may have been healed and changed, but I know he hasn't changed. So, I've been praying, This is what it has come to: it's either my boss, or me—one of us has to go. Is that so wrong?"
The Chaplain wisely answered, "There are many examples in the Psalms where David prayed that the evildoers would be receive the payment due them and be removed."
"God answers prayer."
"Oh yes He does!"
I just received word as I am writing this letter: my boss has been reassigned to another division in the corporation. Thank You Jesus!
I love you Mom.
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Good job.
God bless~