THREE STRIKES
(8/4/02)
Employing others to work for one's company is a difficult task. I've been more than fair in hiring and patiently firing three women to work for CA. The tasks have been what I call "no-brainers" but finding someone qualified to complete "no-brainer" tasks has proven to be a task within and of itself. When I decided to offer employment to women in need of a few extra $, I decided to operate like the American Baseball League and the California Criminal Code: 3 strikes--you're out.
First I offered a job to A. at an exceptional wage of $10 per hour. Arrive at my home at a designated time and work for 2 hours on assigned tasks. Her first strike happened on the 2nd day. Arriving 10 minutes late and requesting to leave 10 minutes early, but expecting full pay was STRIKE 1! A few days later, she arrived 20 minutes late and admitted she was terrified of dogs of any kind and couldn't concentrate on projects, because of her fears and would have to leave early. (Of course my dogs were all in their respective fenced-in yards and she owns a dog--so this never made sense to me.) STRIKE 2! The final strike came when I asked her to place labels in books and on Priority Mail envelopes. She placed the labels over the title page of each book and missed every other envelope with a label. HISTORY!
I'd heard that S. needed some extra $, due to excessive medical bills. I asked her to work at home on assigned tasks and provided her with 1 week for each assignment. The first task was simple, but took her 2 weeks to complete. STRIKE 1! The second assignment was misplaced, when I arrived to pick it up. STRIKE 2! Then came the HISTORY changing call--assignment #3 was lost. (It later turned up some 3 months later.)
I thought I'd finally found a dependable individual in M. I called her the night before to come over the next morning, to make mail deliveries for CA, while I worked on the computer. She agreed to arrive at 11 a.m. I stayed up almost all night; in order to have her assignments ready and the packages completed. Upon arrival, she asked, "Could I do all this stuff tomorrow. I really have something else I want to do today." STRIKE 1! (No, if you want the job, do it today--as planned and agreed upon.) A week later in June, I was trying to beat the postal rate increase with packages to be mailed Domestically and Internationally. I clearly informed her that all the BIBLES need to be mailed, SURFACE, which is by boat. I knew that the packages would take up to 3 months to arrive, but the postage was too excessive to send by air. "They'll cost about $20-25 per package to mail by boat verses $40-50 by air." All of this information I relayed to her, as I loaded her car, while she watched me work. The post office is a few miles from our house and with a blank check in hand, I sent her there for assignment #2. She came back later with a receipt and a puzzled look on her face. "I couldn't remember how you wanted the BIBLES mailed--by boat or by air. So I mailed half by boat and half by air." STRIKE 2! I had 3 days left to mail the last batch of BIBLES and stayed up all night to finish the job. After a lengthy discussion with M., and a blank check, as well as some overnight express stamps I had ($12.25 value/stamp), I again sent her on her way, so I could get on the computer. She came back about an hour later, receipt in hand and saying, "I sent them all by boat--SURFACE." "Good, thank you. So you used some of the $12.25 stamps huh?" "Yes, most of the packages were lighter this time, just like you said. All the paperback BIBLES, instead of so many hard bound books. So each package only cost about $10.00, but I used the stamps anyway." "But, M., since you mailed over 17 packages, every time you used a $12.25 stamp on a $10.00 package, you wasted $2.25 and after 5 packages, you wasted enough postage to mail the 6th package. I stayed up all night to send these at June postal rates to SAVE money, and you just defeated my efforts." "Oh, I didn't think of it that way." STRIKE 3! YOU ARE HISTORY.
In the world of adoption, as we consider working with agencies, attorneys, social workers and birthmoms; it might be prudent to incorporate a THREE STRIKES--YOU'RE OUT policy. Way too often, adoptive couples are neglected, abused and used by others in the adoption SERVICE process. If and when you do not receive the SERVICE you are paying for, then go somewhere else, where God's money will be well spent. When and if you are abused, neglected or used by others in the adoption process; you are responsible to take action that will either correct the situation or remove yourself from it. I recognize that birthmoms walk on our toes, so to speak, during the adoption process. However, a use/abuse attitude towards the adoptive couple is not blessed by God. My heart hurts from some of the stories (past & present) that I hear from Christian couples. An attorney offers a legal SERVICE. An adoption agency offers an adoption SERVICE. A birthmom offers you the privilege of parenting her child, but you offer her child a FUTURE and a HOPE for her child's entire LIFETIME.
God wants you to be blessed beyond measure with His best. Walking in love towards others often means turning the other cheek, overlooking the weaknesses of others with the love of God, and going the extra mile. But abuse is not in order. Consider utilizing a THREE STRIKES approach to those that you pay for services rendered. God will bless you for your stewardship of His money.
For more information please read Reminders and Rock. We encourage you to prayerfully consider registering with our service, and/or writing to us.
adoption@christianadoption.com
A non-profit Christian and Internet
service ministry. We're helping others in the adoption
process.
1.800.277.7006 620.251.4405
Deborah S. Hill P.O. Box 243 Coffeyville, KS 67337
www.christianadoption.com adoption@christianadoption.com
