Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Are You Serious?!?!

Well, I have been lax in posting again, but I think I have an excuse. I have been faced with some major life changing decisions lately. Let me start from the beginning.....

I have previously written about the things happening at my job. I work for a major American life insurance company, and they are consolidating some operations. In that post I shared that I had somewhere between now and 18 months before my job would be phased out and moved to Columbus Ohio. I did what every person in that position should do; I started the process of finding another job. Delaware has some good opportunities, and I just needed to find the right one. I had plenty of time because I was sure that I would be safe for about a year.

About three weeks after the big announcement, I was called into our director’s office. She wanted to know what my plans were for the future. I told her that I was looking around. I anticipated that she was going to offer me some sort of incentive to stay till the end. This is a common practice for companies to offer cash bonuses if you don't jump ship before they have moved your function. To my surprise, she said that my company wanted to keep me. They offered me a promotion as well. The caveat was that I would have to move to Ohio. The package was attractive, and I advised I needed to think about it. She told me that her boss in Columbus was going to be in town the next day and that I should talk to her about it.

I had the meeting and the info was very interesting. She advised me that I didn't have to move for a while (at least 6 months, maybe a year), and that I had two weeks to think about it. Wow, I needed to make that decision in two weeks. There was MUCH about this deal that was attractive.

Now I am not the sort of person who makes life decisions on a whim, so I really began to think about it, and pray. I sought advice from those that I respect and those that love me. The reactions were very consistent. They went something like this....."We/I love you and don't want you to be out of my/our lives, but this seems to really be a good opportunity for you and it seems that God is leading you there." I also went to my family, who immediately said I should go (insert joke here).

So after much thought I made the decision to accept the job. I will be moving to Columbus Ohio sometime in the next 6-9 months. I'm excited, and a little nervous. I have never lived anywhere outside of the same 10 square mile are area in DE. I never went away to college, or spent a summer living at camp. I am really looking forward to what God has in store for me.

My plan is to dedicate two years of my life to this. At the end of two years I will evaluate the decision and if God is leading me back to Delaware, then I will return. This is really going to be an adventure in worship. Pray for me.