Spotlight: Chrisy Thomason
In October 2021 the company I had been working for the past 20 years had announced they were selling to a big corporate company. While it made me nervous, I thought it would be no big deal. As the months went by, we would attend several meetings to go over the plans and the changes that would be made. During this time is when I realized this was not going to be a good change and that the owners that would be taking over would not have the same values that at one time were the reason, we all worked for our current company.
I started to wonder where God was in all of this, why would he allow this to happen when I had a plan to retire with this company that I loved. (BUT GOD!) Why would he want me to leave this company when I was comfortable, and life was great. (I had a plan!)
In February 2022, things went from okay to bad, I got even more nervous. I started crying almost weekly, almost daily. I was fixing to lose my family...my work family! Some of us worked together for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. When I said my work family...we were all so close and I knew I would be at a loss. I was comfortable (BUT GOD!) I prayed and prayed all the time, and it didn't seem like anything was getting any better. By the end of February several employees that had been with us for many years started leaving. By March more and more left. (okay God what am I going to do) Still I prayed over and over for direction. Why is God not opening any doors, why am I still here. By April some of the upper management started leaving. By this time, I would cry almost daily because my loved ones were leaving. I was no longer comfortable. (BUT GOD!) Still, I prayed!
By the end of April, I got a phone call from another company to come over and work for them and help start up a company in Amarillo with several other fellow employees. I was beyond excited; I would be working with the same people that I loved, and I knew at that time I would be okay. In May of 2022 about 17 of us employees moved to this new company and started working together. Things were great...at least I thought it was.
During this time, I started to realize God put us together for a reason. While we all started working together, one of our very very dear friends that made the move with us had ALS. During this time his health started to deteriorate faster than we thought. We became a family and worked hard to make sure he was comfortable and okay to come to work daily. At some point in the late summer of 2022 our dear friend was no longer able to make it in to work. We as a family still made sure that he was involved in every aspect of the company. We were all a family and we loved each other dearly. By October of 2022 our dear friend passed away, this was very hard on me because Robert and I became very close to him and his wife. He was also my mentor and taught me so many things in our line of work. I looked up to him with all the knowledge he brought to our company and just the friendship we had.
By December of 2022 we started to notice that the company we all came to work for was not doing well in the Amarillo area. (BUT GOD!) I started to question what God wanted me to do. Why is this happening again, why would God bring us to this new place just to have it all fall apart. By March of 2022 all the employees in Amarillo got laid off. What am I going to do, I have never been without a paycheck. (Okay, God what are your plans)
While I was unemployed for the first time I had time to reflect on everything that God brought me through. I started to pray for God to show me what he wanted me to do. During this time, I realized that God did not put us all together to work for this company for long term, but that he put us all together to be with our dear friend so that he would be surround by his loved ones during his time of passing. Even though I would no longer be with several of my fellow employees and that I would miss them dearly, I knew God had us together only for that time.
By June I started working for another big corporate company to realize this was not where I needed to be. After interview and interview with other companies I found the God wanted me to be still and trust him. I prayed that whatever direction he wanted me to go that I would learn to not be in control and that I would allow him to work in my favor.
God closed many doors I thought I was supposed to walk through and showed me a totally different direction and changed my career path. I never thought I would be where I am today, but I God showed me that if I am still, he remains faithful and constant. God is good all the time even in the hard times.
Psalm 27:14-Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
1 Samuel 12:16-Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!
I started to wonder where God was in all of this, why would he allow this to happen when I had a plan to retire with this company that I loved. (BUT GOD!) Why would he want me to leave this company when I was comfortable, and life was great. (I had a plan!)
In February 2022, things went from okay to bad, I got even more nervous. I started crying almost weekly, almost daily. I was fixing to lose my family...my work family! Some of us worked together for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. When I said my work family...we were all so close and I knew I would be at a loss. I was comfortable (BUT GOD!) I prayed and prayed all the time, and it didn't seem like anything was getting any better. By the end of February several employees that had been with us for many years started leaving. By March more and more left. (okay God what am I going to do) Still I prayed over and over for direction. Why is God not opening any doors, why am I still here. By April some of the upper management started leaving. By this time, I would cry almost daily because my loved ones were leaving. I was no longer comfortable. (BUT GOD!) Still, I prayed!
By the end of April, I got a phone call from another company to come over and work for them and help start up a company in Amarillo with several other fellow employees. I was beyond excited; I would be working with the same people that I loved, and I knew at that time I would be okay. In May of 2022 about 17 of us employees moved to this new company and started working together. Things were great...at least I thought it was.
During this time, I started to realize God put us together for a reason. While we all started working together, one of our very very dear friends that made the move with us had ALS. During this time his health started to deteriorate faster than we thought. We became a family and worked hard to make sure he was comfortable and okay to come to work daily. At some point in the late summer of 2022 our dear friend was no longer able to make it in to work. We as a family still made sure that he was involved in every aspect of the company. We were all a family and we loved each other dearly. By October of 2022 our dear friend passed away, this was very hard on me because Robert and I became very close to him and his wife. He was also my mentor and taught me so many things in our line of work. I looked up to him with all the knowledge he brought to our company and just the friendship we had.
By December of 2022 we started to notice that the company we all came to work for was not doing well in the Amarillo area. (BUT GOD!) I started to question what God wanted me to do. Why is this happening again, why would God bring us to this new place just to have it all fall apart. By March of 2022 all the employees in Amarillo got laid off. What am I going to do, I have never been without a paycheck. (Okay, God what are your plans)
While I was unemployed for the first time I had time to reflect on everything that God brought me through. I started to pray for God to show me what he wanted me to do. During this time, I realized that God did not put us all together to work for this company for long term, but that he put us all together to be with our dear friend so that he would be surround by his loved ones during his time of passing. Even though I would no longer be with several of my fellow employees and that I would miss them dearly, I knew God had us together only for that time.
By June I started working for another big corporate company to realize this was not where I needed to be. After interview and interview with other companies I found the God wanted me to be still and trust him. I prayed that whatever direction he wanted me to go that I would learn to not be in control and that I would allow him to work in my favor.
God closed many doors I thought I was supposed to walk through and showed me a totally different direction and changed my career path. I never thought I would be where I am today, but I God showed me that if I am still, he remains faithful and constant. God is good all the time even in the hard times.
Psalm 27:14-Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
1 Samuel 12:16-Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!