I was laid off

Moving to Siloam Springs in November of 2008, Carol and I have grown to love the people and the town. When someone wins an award or experiences a victory, we emotionally share it; and when there is a down-turn or someone is hurt, we share the pain. And when I learned that Del Monte (I still think of it as the Allen Canning Company) is closing its doors, my heart sank. Praying for those who will need to find other employment, the last of my four layoffs surfaced in my mind. I would like to share this with the Del Monte employees who are being affected.

In September of 1980, Rockwell International in Tulsa hired me as an aerospace journeyman tool and die maker. I had previously worked for Boeing Aircraft Company as a toolmaker so I knew the job. Boeing's new plane was the 757, and Rockwell was building major portions of the fuselage.

But in the fall of 1983, we were finishing our portion and layoffs were announced. As four toolmakers were being laid off each week, my friends worried about me because the youngest of our five children was only a year old. I began worrying, too; but I finally prayed about it.

My prayer was simple, "Lord, what am I going to do?" and I heard in my mind or spirit, "You'll be here for at least three more years."

I've never heard God speak audibly, and I don't expect to in this life. But that was a direct answer to prayer. Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."

The next day my friends began helping me to worry again, but I told them, "Don't be concerned about me. I'll be here at least three more years." That set their hives a-buzzing! But I didn't tell them how I knew.

Two weeks later, the supervisor announced that eight of us would be laid off the following Friday -- and I was included.

That's when the Lord prompted me to tell them how I knew; and I was surprised at the mockery I received that entire week. Even my Christian friends thought I was nuts. In front of the workers, the supervisor told me, "Gene, you will be laid off. Don't make things up." Giving me my pink slip, he was, however, intrigued at my calm demeanor and my confidence.

On Thursday, the day before layoff, we were told to clean out our tool boxes, and Friday would be a "free day" -- show up, but do no work. I told him I wanted to continue working through Friday evening and clean my box out on Monday. Shaking his head, the supervisor agreed.

Friday morning, the supervisor called us to a meeting. When he publicly asked me if I was ready to be laid off, I told him I wasn't leaving. He asked me if I was sure about it, and I said "Yes." One of the workers asked if I thought I really heard from God, and I said, "Yes." Many of them snickered or made derogatory comments.

The boss said, "You with pink slips, step forward and hold them up." We did. He then looked directly at me and said, "Ten minutes ago, I received a notice from the main office. Tear those slips up. Your layoffs are canceled and we are bringing eight others back."

THAT set their hives a-buzzing!

They gathered around me, and wanted to know more. I had a great opportunity to tell them about Jesus and how He leads us ... if we listen. For some reason, they all held me in much higher esteem.

What they didn't know was: this was God's story, not mine.

The next year I was promoted into management, and had my own crew building portions of the B1-B bomber. But several years later, our contract was winding down and I was given the option of either being laid off within the month or becoming a toolmaker again -- then being laid off. That's a "no-brainer": be a toolmaker -- it's a paycheck.

Four months later, when word came that layoffs for the toolmakers were on the horizon, my friends asked me if I was going to be laid off. I said I would pray about it.

Three days later I told them, "I have heard nothing from the Lord. Therefore, I can only assume that I will be laid off."

That sent shudders down their spines, because that meant they would be laid off, too. A month later, I cleaned out my tool box. But, believe-it-or-not, I was hired within two weeks by McDonnel-Douglas in St. Louis, Mo.

From the time I heard "You'll be here for at least three more years" to my eventual layoff, almost four years had passed.

Not only did that episode teach my friends about praying and listening to the Lord, it increased my own faith in Jesus Christ. And that's what the Lord wants from all of us: learn to pray and listen. If we do, our history will become His Story.

I can only encourage our friends at Del Monte to pray and ask the Lord for guidance. You might be laid off, but God can still help you through this.

-- Gene Linzey is a speaker, author, mentor and president of the Siloam Springs Writers Guild. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

Religion on 10/05/2017