I wanted to post this little introduction, particularly pertaining to my experience with faith.
Currently in my early forties I never really went to church outside a period of about a year when I was about 5 or 6 years old until around 2005. For the first few years my wife and I would only go on the Sundays that our daughter's sang in the Children's Choir, but after hearing some brilliant sermons that sounded a bit different that the stuff we had heard from other churches we began attending more regularly. We were all baptized in 2009 into the United Methodist Church. Since then we have been involved at various levels of activities and groups, growing our faith and discipleship.
The first test of faith that I really noted was getting my current job. May I never forget it.
With nearly ten years at my current company our team faced re-deployment. When a corporation issues a re-deployment you are not laid off, yet. They give you a couple months (paid) to look for positions elsewhere in the company. They do this sort of thing when they don't need to reduce heads only eliminate redundancy or shift headcount to other areas. You still have to apply, interview, all that good stuff as if you were not in redeployment. We were even more fortunate, as we were working on a critical project that required 3 months to complete, so we all got extended by that time and our redeployment started on July 1st 2014. Throughout those first 3 months we all looked for positions. I had no luck, inside or outside my company. Not one callback. I got a little jaded. I had many years of experience and was at the top of my game, I was a very competitive candidate... but I had something working against me. I am a white male, at that point in my late thirties. Everyone was hiring women first (the first to land a job was our female engineer), then minorities (the Asian guys went next), or recent college graduates. So I was too old, too white, and too male to meet anyone's quota's. When redeployment hit the only guys left were me and my friend (another white male around the same age) whom was two months away from his B.S. in Computer Science... he would finish school during redeployment and much more likely get picked up as a recent college grad(RCG).
I was pretty down. I started to panic a bit. I started looking at unemployment benefits, medical options for my family. I kept sending out resume's and applications the whole time. Finally one day on my way to work I said to myself, "Screw it. I've done all I can, I am not going to worry. I have faith that it will all work out. It has to."
It did. Two weeks later I had an offer, two actually, both with the same corporation I had worked for for ten years (now over twelve). Faith. Yeah, dear reader, you may be thinking coincidence, but after 3 months of applying, searching, writing letters, revising resumes and hearing nothing I had two interviews in a week and within days of those I got two offers, all right after I decided that it was not in my hands but God's. Maybe it was coincidence, but before you decide please read on.
More recently I found myself very challenged in my vocation, I was in a new arena (same new job), that of software, and while I understood basic programming I was a hardware guy. For nearly 18 years after graduation with a focus in electronics (i.e. hardware) I had worked for various hardware organizations. I was used to being the best, or one of the best. I was not accustomed to failing, and I had some failings in this new role. I took this as an indication that I was perhaps not very appropriately skilled or talented for this sort of work. That was well over a year ago now, over two years in this new arena as of this writing.
So I kept my eyes open for some other opportunity within the company, since I had over a year in this team I was eligible for transfer. Something did come up, I I recognized some of the names of the individuals in the organization. So I decided that I would sent a note to the hiring manager before applying, as sometimes they already have a candidate in mind when they open a job requisition. It turned out that it was still open, I applied, and things were looking good. I had several interviews but I was still uncertain about leaving the current job (the folks I worked with were some of the best). I should also add that one of my colleagues had past away during this time, quite suddenly after a short battle with cancer, which only added to the funk I was in. The group had not yet extended an offer when the whole company announced a massive, company-wide reorganization, the biggest ever. This resulted in over 10,000 lay-offs and most open job req's being frozen. This possibility for me was gone. Blocked.
As the months went by and we said goodbye to some of our colleagues that were affected by these reductions I got through this funk. Then, about the six-month mark, the same team approached me again with a very similar opening (re-configured). To be more specific it was a lab management position, something that I had experience with in one of my previous positions, six years experience actually. After meeting with a few of the same folks, I again applied. Within 48hrs the organization that I worked for issued a moratorium on transfers (within the company). Yes again. Blocked.
At this point I threw out my arms and looked heavenward, "Okay, I get it! Stay put! I hear it loud and clear!".
So, for some reason that I had yet to understand, I was meant to stay where I was. I began talking about getting a promotion with my manager and a few of the mentors in my org. I like the validation side of things I was certain of that and that product development did not interest me. My options were basically advance to the last Non-Exempt Engineering grade (technician as I was) or the first Exempt Engineering grade. Engineering Tech, or Engineer. For Engineer I would do well in that grade but would be expected to perform at that well enough to advance to the next grade within three or four years. The Tech grade would top me out, but for career longevity would be a more secure option as I am within a decade of eligible retirement. The Engineer option would still be open, though not likely until I completed a few more years of college. I did not anticipate a promotion for another year, because you need to build up some exceptional reviews, but I did get a promotion! Advancing in the Engineer Technician grades to the top grade. The wisdom of my manager knew that I would not get the schooling done in time if I had gone to Engineer, I would have soon floundered and eventually possibly failed at my job. That job would also require a lot more of my time, taking away from family and other outside of work endeavors. This was really the best, which is all I ever prayed for. The right thing for me, my family, and my community.
Had my manager promoted me to Engineer, I would not have the time for the other things that followed.
Twice I made a move to leave this team and twice it was quickly blocked, still I tried to make my way, pushing for Engineer (even though I had doubts), and again the right thing for me happened. Three events in just one year. Through it all I had faith that the right thing would come to pass.
Now it appears I am going to co-lead No Barriers Bible Study(NBBS) with Jeremy. This study was founded a few years back by one of the pastors I have the pleasure of learning from, a study that I have attended for nearly two years now. Perhaps I have been growing into this, I certainly did not see it coming. God did. The idea that His grace, and His plan was at work throughout the whole process is a notion that I cannot dispute. I cannot find a reasonable argument against it.
I started out in 2014 in despair over the prospect of being unemployed, then finding faith, then struggling with learning a new skillset, then looking for something more familiar (safer), then getting blocked, then looking again, then getting blocked again, then trying to drive my way up, only to end up securely in a situation where I can earn a living, support my kids in their last couple years of high school, and serve my faith community.
Faith.
-jason
Currently in my early forties I never really went to church outside a period of about a year when I was about 5 or 6 years old until around 2005. For the first few years my wife and I would only go on the Sundays that our daughter's sang in the Children's Choir, but after hearing some brilliant sermons that sounded a bit different that the stuff we had heard from other churches we began attending more regularly. We were all baptized in 2009 into the United Methodist Church. Since then we have been involved at various levels of activities and groups, growing our faith and discipleship.
The first test of faith that I really noted was getting my current job. May I never forget it.
With nearly ten years at my current company our team faced re-deployment. When a corporation issues a re-deployment you are not laid off, yet. They give you a couple months (paid) to look for positions elsewhere in the company. They do this sort of thing when they don't need to reduce heads only eliminate redundancy or shift headcount to other areas. You still have to apply, interview, all that good stuff as if you were not in redeployment. We were even more fortunate, as we were working on a critical project that required 3 months to complete, so we all got extended by that time and our redeployment started on July 1st 2014. Throughout those first 3 months we all looked for positions. I had no luck, inside or outside my company. Not one callback. I got a little jaded. I had many years of experience and was at the top of my game, I was a very competitive candidate... but I had something working against me. I am a white male, at that point in my late thirties. Everyone was hiring women first (the first to land a job was our female engineer), then minorities (the Asian guys went next), or recent college graduates. So I was too old, too white, and too male to meet anyone's quota's. When redeployment hit the only guys left were me and my friend (another white male around the same age) whom was two months away from his B.S. in Computer Science... he would finish school during redeployment and much more likely get picked up as a recent college grad(RCG).
I was pretty down. I started to panic a bit. I started looking at unemployment benefits, medical options for my family. I kept sending out resume's and applications the whole time. Finally one day on my way to work I said to myself, "Screw it. I've done all I can, I am not going to worry. I have faith that it will all work out. It has to."
It did. Two weeks later I had an offer, two actually, both with the same corporation I had worked for for ten years (now over twelve). Faith. Yeah, dear reader, you may be thinking coincidence, but after 3 months of applying, searching, writing letters, revising resumes and hearing nothing I had two interviews in a week and within days of those I got two offers, all right after I decided that it was not in my hands but God's. Maybe it was coincidence, but before you decide please read on.
More recently I found myself very challenged in my vocation, I was in a new arena (same new job), that of software, and while I understood basic programming I was a hardware guy. For nearly 18 years after graduation with a focus in electronics (i.e. hardware) I had worked for various hardware organizations. I was used to being the best, or one of the best. I was not accustomed to failing, and I had some failings in this new role. I took this as an indication that I was perhaps not very appropriately skilled or talented for this sort of work. That was well over a year ago now, over two years in this new arena as of this writing.
So I kept my eyes open for some other opportunity within the company, since I had over a year in this team I was eligible for transfer. Something did come up, I I recognized some of the names of the individuals in the organization. So I decided that I would sent a note to the hiring manager before applying, as sometimes they already have a candidate in mind when they open a job requisition. It turned out that it was still open, I applied, and things were looking good. I had several interviews but I was still uncertain about leaving the current job (the folks I worked with were some of the best). I should also add that one of my colleagues had past away during this time, quite suddenly after a short battle with cancer, which only added to the funk I was in. The group had not yet extended an offer when the whole company announced a massive, company-wide reorganization, the biggest ever. This resulted in over 10,000 lay-offs and most open job req's being frozen. This possibility for me was gone. Blocked.
As the months went by and we said goodbye to some of our colleagues that were affected by these reductions I got through this funk. Then, about the six-month mark, the same team approached me again with a very similar opening (re-configured). To be more specific it was a lab management position, something that I had experience with in one of my previous positions, six years experience actually. After meeting with a few of the same folks, I again applied. Within 48hrs the organization that I worked for issued a moratorium on transfers (within the company). Yes again. Blocked.
At this point I threw out my arms and looked heavenward, "Okay, I get it! Stay put! I hear it loud and clear!".
So, for some reason that I had yet to understand, I was meant to stay where I was. I began talking about getting a promotion with my manager and a few of the mentors in my org. I like the validation side of things I was certain of that and that product development did not interest me. My options were basically advance to the last Non-Exempt Engineering grade (technician as I was) or the first Exempt Engineering grade. Engineering Tech, or Engineer. For Engineer I would do well in that grade but would be expected to perform at that well enough to advance to the next grade within three or four years. The Tech grade would top me out, but for career longevity would be a more secure option as I am within a decade of eligible retirement. The Engineer option would still be open, though not likely until I completed a few more years of college. I did not anticipate a promotion for another year, because you need to build up some exceptional reviews, but I did get a promotion! Advancing in the Engineer Technician grades to the top grade. The wisdom of my manager knew that I would not get the schooling done in time if I had gone to Engineer, I would have soon floundered and eventually possibly failed at my job. That job would also require a lot more of my time, taking away from family and other outside of work endeavors. This was really the best, which is all I ever prayed for. The right thing for me, my family, and my community.
Had my manager promoted me to Engineer, I would not have the time for the other things that followed.
Twice I made a move to leave this team and twice it was quickly blocked, still I tried to make my way, pushing for Engineer (even though I had doubts), and again the right thing for me happened. Three events in just one year. Through it all I had faith that the right thing would come to pass.
Now it appears I am going to co-lead No Barriers Bible Study(NBBS) with Jeremy. This study was founded a few years back by one of the pastors I have the pleasure of learning from, a study that I have attended for nearly two years now. Perhaps I have been growing into this, I certainly did not see it coming. God did. The idea that His grace, and His plan was at work throughout the whole process is a notion that I cannot dispute. I cannot find a reasonable argument against it.
I started out in 2014 in despair over the prospect of being unemployed, then finding faith, then struggling with learning a new skillset, then looking for something more familiar (safer), then getting blocked, then looking again, then getting blocked again, then trying to drive my way up, only to end up securely in a situation where I can earn a living, support my kids in their last couple years of high school, and serve my faith community.
Faith.
-jason
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