All in the Family featured the curmudgeonly Archie Bunker. Archie was television’s most famous grouch, blunt, blustering, straightforward and untouched by the PC crowd. He was the archetype of the conservative male. Michael desprately tried to reeducate him, but he persisted in his breviloquence.



Looking back at the last 40 years, we realize: ARCHIE WAS RIGHT!

9/24/2015

Prayer Answered

The hard thing about "no" is that you really wanted to hear "yes", and you wanted "yes" to be amazing. 

I had a personal "prayer list" very similar to the one I posted yesterday.  Mine was a little longer and included some preconditions.  The reason for the preconditions was "fleece wetting".  I've found that its better to let God do the picking.  The problem is knowing what He's picked.  So you have to ask Him to give you a wet fleece, just like Gideon did.

When I ask for a wet fleece I write it down and I make sure it's very specific.  I did that this time too.  This fleece had several components.  The top two were that they would make a salary offer and that it would exactly equal or better a specific dollar amount and; I would not have to ask for or state how much I wanted.  The rational being that I asked God to provide and frankly He is more than capable.

The fleece then was 1. I wouldn't have to ask for a salary they would offer, and 2. the amount would equal or better a specific dollar amount. The salary I asked for was the average income for a family of four in our town, according to some economic data I read recently rounded down and that the bonus system included would provide opportunity for additional blessing.  Incidentally the bank is rated as a Top 10 national bank by US News and a Top 5 bank by Forbes and had a net income of over $40 billion last quarter.  In other words, an easy fleece to wet.

Here's how the interview went down.  They called exactly on time.  We had a conversation about the weather, which is extremely nice here today and apparently particularly gloomy where my interviewer was.  She complimented me a couple of times about my experience and how great of a candidate I was.  I like it when pleasant sounding women compliment me.  It's a pride thing.  I probably should work on that.

The very first question, which she said she never ever asked candidates first, but always leaves to the last, was "how much are you wanting to make as a base salary?".  That question was strike one, two and three.  We were less than 2 minutes into the conversation and it was all over. 

I wasn't willing to let it go so I verbally danced, very eloquently too, if I say so myself.  I talked about base and bonuses and asked how they calculated their performance matrix and how much was based on branch production verses personal performance.  She asked again for a figure.  I gave a range, based on what the average income in our town is.  She said they would only be looking at half that amount.

I guess it had to happen that way.  I needed a loud, double smack down because I heard "no".  I knew it meant "no".  It was an answer exactly in the way I asked for it, because I need things to be crystal clear.  I didn't want the answer to be no.  I kept pushing, looking for that slight chance that it would be "yes" if only I prodded it a bit.

God is amazing.  Not only did he hear and take time to listen to me, but He condescended to wet my fleece exactly according to my conditions.  He even gave me the answer I asked for, a clear concise "no".

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:26 PM

    Baruch Hashem! May he continue to provide for all of your needs as you continue to seek first His kingdom. Thanks for the update, Res. Many blessings to you and yours.

    Affectionately,

    R'B

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  2. WaterBoy5:46 PM

    That's too bad. Hope another opportunity presents itself to you soon....

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  3. Welp. That's an answer. Praying for wisdom, opportunities, discernment.

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  4. Susan6:44 PM

    Excellent update. Thanks very much Res. God indeed knows. But since you know your basic needs, it would have been interesting to hear her reaction to your answer without all the dancing.
    Banking is one of the professions, at least where I live, that is getting very woman oriented and gay-centric. From reading your post, I suspect that was part of her hidden agenda. Again, glad God is on your side in this.
    I suspect that God would not want you in that kind of environment. Just the fact that you are a Christian would have put you in a terrible spot of feeling like you were always on defense.

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  5. Susan8:27 AM

    Res, I just had to put this thought somewhere so forgive me. But some joys just have to be shared.

    When I woke up this morning the first sight for my half asleep eyes was a most magnificent rainbow over my neighborhood.
    It just filled my heart with joy that the first sight I see when I opened the blinds was God's promise to His creation.

    Then I saw the headlines about Boehner's resignation from Congress next month in the headlines. With what was uncovered about his connection to StemExpress, is there any question why God is pleased this morning?

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  6. I commend you on the way you handled it. Too many, myself included, tend to try to do things on our own, without bothering to pray about it. I should probably work on that.

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  7. Banking has and is becoming an hostile institution as it becomes more feminized. It's also probably my best bet of earning enough money for the wife to stay home, at least under current economic conditions and with my skill set.

    The more I develop at Christian world view, the more I realize that God gives us our talents and abilities. He has a use for them if we are willing to go along with it.

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