First of all, I was not looking to make another move in my working career. I liked what I was doing, and where I was in my career. I had the opportunity to work from home part-time. I was going to be learning about more technologies, including Java. But God had other plans for me.

This is a post I’ve been been meaning to write for almost a month. For anyone who follows my posts here or on Facebook or Twitter will have seen me allude to my new employment. My new employment is with a lighting distributor in Lincoln Nebraska. I am very pleased to be with them and I look forward, Lord willing, to many years of service with them. Here is my story.

Prior to the Christmas holidays I received a letter in the mail from the lighting company. I could tell because of the company stationary used. Now the only previous relationship I have with the lighting company is that my good friend and brother in Christ John W. is employed with them. The letter was written by their Vice President Steve. In the letter Steve states that he found me and my info via my blog site. Through this media he concluded that I might be a person who could help them find something or someone to resolve some issues they were having of a technical and software nature. He stated that he would like to meet me for lunch in the near future and discuss the nature of these issues.

My first response to this letter was to call my good friend John. John had some wonderful things to say about Steve the VP and the company. But he had no idea what Steve might want to talk to me about. With some encouragement from John to make the contact I called Steve. My phone conversation with Steve only revealed the same basic info from the letter and he again expressed his desire to meet with me. We made some arrangements to meet, and over the next few days, emails, and phone calls, we eventually met for lunch.

During the subsequent lunch I met Steve and Tom. Tom is the Systems and Software Engineer for the lighting company. The first thing I wanted to know was the process of how they found me. Tom and Steve explained to me that they had been on somewhat of a journey to find someone who could help them take their company to the next level using technology. They had done some research and met with some folks to learn about the technologies they wanted to pursue for their company. So they decided to try and find someone who might match the company vision and have some knowledge of the technologies in their future. In order to find this person, Steve told me, he and Tom literally did a Google search using some keywords that match the company president’s vision for the company and technical buzzwords. In the search results they came across a comment I had made on a blog site which I later learned was “Miss Oblivious thinks out loud” which is a blog site I sometimes comment on.  The blog site is run by a very nice fellow blogger who is also a fellow believer in Christ. I highly recommend a visit or even bookmark for Miss Oblivious. Anyway, Steve and Tom followed a link to my blog site and that is where they learned of my passions and technical experience. Over the next hour and half we talked about their company, the vision of their president, and their technical needs. They were very up front that they were not looking to me as a potential employee but as a resource to possibly point them in the right direction. Likewise I was very happy with my current employer and not looking to make a move. Having this mutual attitude made for some nice candid conversation. But after the meeting I was quite intrigued with the lighting company, the vision of their president, and the technical direction of the company.

I was so intrigued with the lighting company that after a few days of praying and speaking with my bride I requested another meeting with Steve. Since these events were occurring around the Christmas holidays, and vacations, it was a couple of weeks before we could get together again. This time I was invited to come to their headquarters in Lincoln and speak with some of the company leadership. I had the opportunity to speak with some more VP’s and even their company president Michael. I had the opportunity to witness first hand the passion of Mike, learn of his father Henry who originally built the lighting company business, and Mike’s desire to take the company into a more forward thinking  interaction with the ever changing world of technology. I came away from the meeting with an even greater desire to be a part of this passion and commitment to God, family, company, and technology.

Over the next few weeks I expressed to Steve my desire to be a part of what was going on at this lighting company. I had relayed to him my financial, and benefit needs and he proceeded to work within his parameters and guidelines to see if my desires and skill set might be a match for their company. After much prayer and discussion from both sides of this directional equation, I was presented with an offer from the lighting company. I had the opportunity to pray about this on my own, pray about it with my bride, and meditate on this decision over a weekend. The following Monday I knew what I had to do. I needed to write a resignation letter.

It is times like these that cause me to reflect on Jeremiah 29. This chapter is a letter from God through the prophet Jeremiah to the exiled remnant of Israel in Babylon. The letter instructs the exiles to live, prosper, and seek the welfare of the city of Babylon. This biblical text, particularly verse 11, is often times taken out of context, especially by those who preach a “prosperity gospel”. But I believe it displays the character of God toward those He calls His own.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.(Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

I trust this display of God’s character, even though at times my life may not reflect it. May I always have to be reminded of this? I believe God interacts with us in an intimate way and also is transcendent, or far removed from us. He is a holy God after all.

I have been with the lighting company for two weeks today and right now I couldn’t think of a better place to be in my career. I have met so many joyful employees who have been with the company for 20 years or more. That is almost unheard of in this day and age. I absolutely love it here. I hope and pray that God will continue to use me here to help and serve Him.

As always,

Soli Deo Gloria!!