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".