The Job

Way back, when I stopped working full time, gave up my business and we moved to the country I made a mental plan to return to work when Damon went to school.  I have always wanted to help out with the kids’ education—just give them a gift from me.  Maybe it’s simply a way to stay involved in their lives.  So I’ve had part time jobs every now and then, but they were always very flexible and tended to be on the creative side of things.

Damon stayed home to go to school when we moved to Moscow so I planned to get a job.  I watched the job postings for family members every week.  I applied and I interviewed.  The first interview was a disaster.  Chad and I were at a conference in Bangkok so I called Moscow via skype.  Jet lagged, I sat in the hallway of the hotel, the only place I could get reliable internet.  The interview itself was odd.  I knew there were about 5 people sitting in a conference room in Moscow, but one person would ask me a question, I would answer, then there was dead silence.  The longer this went on the more uncomfortable I became so that by the end I was babbling nonsense in response to the questions. 

Thus the game began.  In one interview I was told that I needed to start at the absolute bottom of the totem pole and work my way up—because his wife did.  I nailed another interview and thought for sure I was getting the job.  It was a bit devastating to have to contact them because they never bothered to let me know someone else had been hired.  One I knew I was way underqualified for and another could have been interesting.  I walked out of one to be told that I definitely was the best candidate for the job.  Didn’t get it and I don’t know why.

                When I was offered the job I now have, I about fell out of my chair.  I had truly given up hope that I would ever work again.  It really was a blow to my confidence.  It even became a bit comical to learn that no one else interviewed for this job so they had no choice but to offer it to me. But over the year of living here and watching the different offices and dynamics I have learned that a full time job would have been more than I wanted.  One of the offices would have been a very heavy environment.  Another would have had a fair amount of overtime.  I can see that God had my back on this.  He knew the best place for me here at this embassy.   I always trusted Him, but even in trusting, life can become discouraging.  It could have been a miserable two years in Moscow in a job I hated.  But I enjoy my job and am accomplishing many of my goals.  This job hasn’t taken away from time with the family either. 

                I’m in the working world again.  I’ve got 8 more months before we move and I have to make a decision about what type of job I want next.  I have lots of time to add skills to my resume.  You may not hear from me very often because life is busy, but it’s good to have my time filled in a profitable way.