Have you ever been assigned to do a task and you do as instructed/requested only to get caught off guard when you get chastised the next day??? This weekend I organized a conference for our local Ministers Wives and Widows Association - it was a true success, people's lives were changed, people's hurts were healed, people were able to open up about their frustrations... Awesome, awesome, awesome... The conference theme was "Royal Treatment" and we talked about the various articles involved in a coronation - my president talked about destroying the deceptive scepter, I talked about accepting the ampulla, the breakout session was tears for my tiara and the final speaker was come to the coronation.... Okay, I promise that the word was second to none - absolutely first rate... People were slain in the spirit, began to operate in gifts they had not used, etc... Fast forward to the next day, I got a call from my President blasting me for not giving her the financial report among other things she said I did not do... To which I was speechless, she left before I did, all of the things she asked for were given to me as I was leaving... If she had only asked she could have had them while she was there... Who knew that she wanted it on the spot, I was expecting to have a follow-up meeting... I was absolutely irritated by her fussing. The good thing is that I am being delivered from giving people a piece of my mind and holding on to my PEACE of mind...
Now I need to tell you that the previous Saturday (October 6) that my house burned. My upstairs neighbor had a grease fire that ignited the walls of her apartment and the firemen in putting out her fire, caused extensive water damage to my apartment - therefore we lost the house - fortunately not much of the contents of our place was destroyed but there was some damage and mostly issues of smoke and mildew... So we were technically homeless - although we had more places than a few to go - but we did not have our own place - until the Lord intervened by way of another preacher and we moved into a house on Thursday (our new permanent location)... So it goes without saying that the last week before the conference I was tied up with the clean-up from the fire - the back and forth from the hotel (we stayed for 3 nights in a hotel to just be able to get away from everything and everyone) and then the back and forth from my in-laws and then the move (IN THE RAIN) to my new house...
So I was truly operating without rest and without sleep - nevertheless I gave a Rhema word (from II Kings 4:1-7) and I executed every single aspect of that conference as if nothing had happened to me... And I danced and shouted the victory and received the strength of the Lord... My point is that sometimes we can be ridiculous in our approaching of people who we have given authority to... Every review of the conference was glowing and the only complaint that we received was that we are telling them that we will do it next year the same time - they are asking for a follow-up much sooner... My president did not come to thank me for what I had done but to literally tell me how disappointed she was that we did not raise the amount of money she needed to raise and how we let people get away with not paying... Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that business needs to be handled - but I was not the one doing the registration, and the people who did not pay were speakers and the others were there for less than 90 minutes of an all day conference, as well as the President and her best friend... So two of the people who got away without paying was HER and HER GUEST... I was told that I stepped outside of my position - I am the Dean, so planning the conference was my responsibility and the majority of the people who came did so because I invited them...
My overwhelming feeling after I got off the phone with her was that there was a jealousy there on her part because my gifts were so evident and well received... Sometimes we hurt the ones that are trying to help us and wonder why no one wants to deal with us... That story of the boy who cried wolf comes to mind - eventually no one will come to your rescue if you keep abusing their assistance of you... We put unreal expectations on people when we expect them to not only know our hearts but to also read our minds. I also think sometimes we focus on financial success when lives are being held in the balance... Ultimately, the conference expenses outweighed our income. But I am the one who bore that burden... Even though I am in a financial crisis of my own with this fire situation (and of course I was already broke when that took place!!!!), I still quietly kept my receipts to myself and dealt with the fact that we did not bring in enough... I felt that the spiritual development and growth was more important than making a profit... Suffer it to be so.
At any rate, I was disappointed, disgusted, and disgruntled with my leader... I felt that it was more than insensitive towards my efforts for her to tell me that I "did not handle business" and that I am "too pushy" and "need to get in my place"... So of course this has sort of soured me from planning any other events for her... But then again, I know that the level of ministry that is needed to bring many of us ministers wives out of our clouds and fogs, and so I would not want to let them down... She never came to any of the planning meetings, the only one she was coming to, was to be at my house the day of the fire (needless to say that got canceled!)... She called me two days before the conference (WHILE I WAS MOVING!) to ask me if I had ordered the conference bags and how could I have forgotten that - which would have been yet another expense that we would not have reimbursed... HUMPH!
Okay thanks for reading - I am through now... Still stressed, but not depressed.
Been there, done that - both with the crabby people after a successful event AND with being displaced from my home. I don't know what I would have done if I'd had to deal with them both at the same time.
Whether this woman knows it or not, she is being used by the enemy to attack you after a major success. Keep holding your head up high and remember that the fruit of your event speaks volumes louder than this woman's criticism!!
I am so sorry to hear about the fire and the drama from your president. I would say that I can't believe her actions , but unfortunately, I have experienced it first hand. I feel you! My flesh would have said that if she was that concerned about meeting budget, then she should pay for her and her guest. However, that is neither here nor there. Just know that God is using you to make a difference and that outweighs the criticism of the haters.
I wish I was there to do it with you!
, but unfortunately, I have experienced it first hand. I feel you! My flesh would have said that if she was that concerned about meeting budget, then she should pay for her and her guest. However, that is neither here nor there. Just know that God is using you to make a difference and that outweighs the criticism of the haters.
