So yesterday I'm in a meeting with my pastor and he asks:
"So what is your dress code upstairs on Sunday mornings?"
I reminded him that all of the leaders wear our logo T-shirts so that parents can easily identify the leaders when they are dropping off or picking up their kids. Usually with a pair of casual pants - jeans are fine if they are "nice" jeans...i.e. no holes, rips, etc.
He was fine with that.
He then went on to say that he had received a complaint from a parent [or parents...I really wasn't quite clear on that!] about my husband's appearance, saying that his stomach was showing one Sunday and that he wasn't setting a proper example for the kids.
Now. My husband does have some weight to lose [as do I!], and quite possibly, as he was sitting in the sound booth, his shirt may have "scooted up." And that's what I told my SP, who figured it was something like that [although, I must say that since he has never been overweight a day in his life, he can't really fully comprehend the pesky wardrobe issues that we deal with, but I digress...]
I am not upset with my pastor in the slightest - he had an issue brought to his attention, and so he asked me about it. End of story.
The thing I'm annoyed with is that if this parent had taken five minutes to get to know my husband and me, they would know that he is extremely sensitive and self-conscious about anyone seeing his stomach, and would never, in a million years, purposely be showing it off. I mean, come on! Seriously? Did they consider going up to him, discreetly, and letting him know that his shirt was riding up? You know - assume that it was probably an accident or an ill-fitting shirt that he hadn't noticed when dressing in the morning - and that he was not purposely going for the Winnie-the-Pooh look?
Was this really an "issue" that needed to be brought to the senior pastor?
It's really a minor issue, and I'm probably more worked up about it than my husband is [he just said - "Whatever - people are petty. I just won't wear that particular shirt again." This personality is why he can work with teens who have extreme anger management issues, and...well, I couldn't :).]
All's well that ends well - we are, for the zillionth time, buckling down and getting serious about our health, so it will probably be a moot point soon, anyway. We're not in trouble, nor am I in danger of being fired.
Okay, my novella is done now. Anyone else have a "fun" story about not being given the benefit of the doubt?
It is sad but most people don't know how to handle conflict according to Matthew 18. Not that your hubby caused a conflict, certainly not. But my point is, if they had an issue with him they should have gone to him, period.
I am assuming this is not a habit but just a momentary wardrobe malfunction. In which case, the complainer is really immature. This is like if one of us accidently had a bra strap showing and somebody complained. Give me a break.
Immaturity on the part of the body of Christ, for sure.
Agree with Deanna on this one. I am sure the Senior pastor of your church has more important things to deal with than this kind of complaint. I deal with crazy parents all the time. I may actually be one of those crazy parents at times. But if I was to see something in this nature I would have just gone to him and mentioned it quietly. Ugh! The things we deal with! Love ya and I love your post!
