Hope and Trust

Hour after hour, checked fund after checked fund (that's what I do a lot of the day), anticipation escalated. I had run nearly every possible scenario through my head, deciding it safer to think about how I would respond when I was told I didn't get the job.

Three o'clock - no phone calls. Four o'clock - nothing. Emotions of rejection began to threaten my soul, but I still managed to pray and thank God for His goodness, that He had a plan no matter what happened, and that I could trust Him. That helped a lot.

When I received an email from my boss around 4:05 p.m. asking if I'd have time to meet, I began to calculate the odds of this being good news. The fact that my boss was not directly related to the interview process made it pretty clear, though. I would not be promoted.

My manager - his name is Evan - is a man I deeply respect and look up to. The two of us casually walked into the small conference room, closed the door, and sat down. As he sat, he began to speak with a sheepish smile saying, "Unfotunately I can't tell you that you got the job-- they decided to go with someone else."

I've never been turned down for a job since I started with this company (I had been 2 for 2), so I took a second to take in the new experience of not being "the chosen one". Ironically, I had jokingly mentioned to my wife earlier in the day how I'd always wondered what it was like to not get picked. Now was my opportunity to be tested in this.

The bad news pretty much stopped there, though. What followed was an incredible series of blessings. First, Evan debriefed my on the feedback sent by Kurt, the manager who interviewed me (and who happened to be my first manager before he was promoted). The feedback was thorough and very encouraging, filled with helpful tips and comments. Something tells me that managers don't usually do that for "the rejects" -- and I felt pretty honored.

Second, I was able to talk about my thoughts on the interview process with Evan and benefit from his own comments and encouragements.

Third, given the fact that I wasn't going anywhere, we began to shift our focus to the situation at hand with our current team, and I finally was able to articulate some of my concerns with the leadership. Evan shared what he could and we had a great dialog, which was exceedingly helpful and informative.

All and all, know that I am filled with great joy and encouragement. Thank you for your prayers and support... I feel 100 percent at peace. Well, maybe 90 percent, but just give me a good night's sleep and some time in prayer with God, and I should be right up there.