There's a guy on my team at work who is most likely going to be fired soon. He's been on a performance plan for just over a month, and I've been working closely with him since before the performance plan. The position he's in can be challenging, but I wouldn't say it's particularly difficult, and the changes that he needs to make in order to improve and maintain employment are so simple. I've become increasingly frustrated with him because he seems to care so little about getting better at his job. I tell him the same things over and over again, and he's still not doing what I've asked him to.
I've been very honest with him lately that it's likely that he will be let go without drastic improvement, and in our meeting today he asked if it would be possible for him to voluntarily resign if it comes to that. This young man would rather lose his job than take the simple steps needed to be successful and remain employed. It boggles my mind that he can just casually turn from something right in his grasp.
I went to institute tonight, mind still boggled, where we talked about the book of Hosea. The story of Hosea is of a woman turning away from her husband, much like Israel had turned from the Lord. We discussed that when a spouse is unfaithful, it is the other spouse that feels the hurt first. They feel betrayed. Their trust has been broken. In the case of the Lord and Israel (or any one of us), He is the one hurt when we turn away from him.
Suddenly I realized that the frustration I have been feeling is in some small measure the same frustration that our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel for us when we are not doing all They ask of us. God sees us sinning and knows we can do better. He knows what we can become. He wants to give us all He has. All we have to do is turn to Him and ask for His help. It's so simple. There's so much waiting for us, and we just have to have faith in Him and live righteously.
Of course, the similarities in my situation only go so far. If this person is separated from the company, I will have no lasting regrets. This will be his choice, and I'll move on. But that is not how the Lord operates. Because of His unconditional and unending love for us, He will continue to wait for us to return. No matter what we do, He will always be there with His arms open, ready to forgive us when we repent. Ready to give us all He has and help us become like Him.
