My Beloved: A Link-Up in "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith"

As 2011 winds to a close, reflection is natural. And we've had a great deal on which to reflect this year. 


As Kregg finished his time with his former employer, it became very obvious that he would be sorely missed. The president of the company told me that the thing he most valued in Kregg is his ability to just know when something is "off." To put that statement in context, you have to have some background. 


The company that Kregg has spent half of his life working for has grown from a small business owned by a family into the largest employer in West Texas, other than the government. He has worked his way up, over the years, to be the Treasurer and Vice President of Finance. The man who started the company, passed away suddenly several years ago. His wife told Kregg that he had always considered Kregg to be another of his sons.


Because of Kregg's long years with the company, and because of his God-given talents, he is able to know when the numbers don't add up. He always has a total in his head for how much something should cost, or how much something should add up to, and so he can tell instantly when something has a mistake in it. It's is truly amazing to me because my brain just doesn't work that way. At all! 


Kregg's boss told me that he just can't hire that.


Now, after interviewing people from all over, the president of the company has decided he will need to hire three people to replace Kregg. But, at the Christmas party the other night, he told me that he is going to tell these replacements that, if Kregg decides to come back within a year, they will be out and Kregg will get his job back. Incredible! This is a company that had over 1.2 billion dollars revenue last year. And my sweet husband can account for every penny. 


It's one thing to have the people "over" Kregg feel this way about him. But, it is also very telling to hear what Kregg's employees think. 


Last Friday, his last day, was brutal.


Kregg cried off and on all day. And so did his employees. I picked him up at the office that afternoon, because he had to turn in his company truck, and his eyes were red and swollen. Knowing ahead of time that it would be hard, he had planned a hunting trip. He took Josh, Ben, and Elizabeth with him from here and then met Caleb at the deer lease. It was a good plan. It would give him time to unwind and process his feelings while just having fun with the kids. 


But that evening, he received an email that started him grieving all over again. Two of his sweet employees, a married couple, told him they had gotten home from work that day and received our Christmas card in the mail. They said they both just sat there and wept, realizing that Kregg wouldn't be back. It ripped his already tender heart out again. And, of course, I had to cry, too. Again.


As the kids have watched and listened to all of this about their father, they have come to better understand just how blessed they are. Caleb sent Kregg a precious text telling him how much he admires him and how much he has learned about the need for a work ethic of excellence through his dad's example. Priceless!


As hard as it has been on Kregg's heart, it has also been so very dear to him. When you work with someone for years and years, it can be easy to take them for granted. Kregg is the very last one at that company that anyone would ever have thought would leave. He could have stayed there for the rest of his career and they would have been thrilled to have him. But knowing he was leaving made him realize just how much they loved and respected him. And that fed his soul in deep places. So very precious.


And this process has reminded me, again, just what an amazing man God has blessed me with. My husband is such a gift. He is such a rare, priceless treasure to me. And the Lord has used him over and over and over again through 26 1/2 years of marriage to show His Faithfulness to me, to our children. I am so thankful. It's hard to take it all in, at times. Through Kregg's faithfulness to me and our family, I see daily a reflection of the Father's Faithfulness. Our family is far from perfect, but through the godly leadership of my husband, we are blessed beyond measure. 

God is Faithful! In our lives everyday, there is evidence. Proof. Are we paying attention? Or are we merely taking it for granted? I have to be careful to intentionally notice and take notes. That's the purpose of this link-up every Friday: to encourage all of us to keep a record of ways the Lord shows Himself Faithful to us. Recording it builds our faith in Him. Having a written record serves as an anchor in the storms we will face in this life. When we can sit and reflect on all the ways over all the years that He has always been Faithful, it gives us courage to walk without fear, regardless of the circumstances we face. And the blessing your testimony will be to your children, and their children after them, is without price. You cannot put a value on a Heritage of Faith. It is one of the most precious gifts we can give to the future generations of our family. 


Have you started your "Pages in Our Heritage of Faith?" If not, you should. It will bless you. And if you link up with us here, it will also bless us! It is such fun to read your testimonies here. I am so thankful for each of you who have linked up over the last several months, telling of what He has done for you. And I look forward to reading what you have to say this week!  


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