A few months ago, my life began to take sudden turns. Out of
the blue, my dad called me about a job opening at his work. He said I
would do well at it, and that I should apply. This random phone call has
changed my life.
I applied for the job, and was one of
three finalists for the position. It would have paid over $12 an hour,
which is a huge raise from what I have been making. It would have begun
at 4 am, and it would have allowed me time to do school work at night. I
was excited about the possibility of making more money, and at experiencing new
challenges.
I have enjoyed my time working at Comfort
Inn and Chrysalis, which have shaped my life. I have made many
friendships at both job. I will be sad to leave Chrysalis, as I work with
three wonderful adults with disabilities. Despite those disabilities,
they are all really smart and fun people. I have loved meeting new people
at Comfort Inn, and have done 90% of my schoolwork thus far while working
there.
I did not end up getting the position at
JBS, but just the thought that I could make that much money per hour was
exciting. I had thought I had to get a college degree to make that much,
and I still have a lot of school left. But I now knew I had a chance to
make some serious money.
A co-worker of 2 years at Comfort Inn left
last month. He had already graduated, and he was single. He told me
that as long as he had a job, he wouldn't really work that hard at finding a
new one. He enjoyed working at the hotel, and it was comfortable.
After applying for the JBS job, I understood what he meant. I had
it easy, my boss liked me and gave me an easy schedule, and I knew if I didn't
find a better paying job, I could always keep working there.
Through this time, my wife Cathy has been
a wonderful support to me. She encouraged me and thought I was worth
more that I thought I was. She is always the person who tells me to
go for things I am unsure of. She tells me I have nothing to lose.
I am grateful for that encouragement.
A few weeks ago my
brother and his wife told me I should apply for a job at Conservice. My
sister in law works there, and she enjoys her work. Well, I did, and
passed the assessment and interview there.
I got a call on Thursday, offering me a
position at Conservice. I would be paid $12 an hour, with quite a few
benefits I am not currently getting. I would not have to work any more
Sundays, so I can become active in the church again. I will get 10 paid vacation days
per year. I would get medical, dental, and vision insurance.
I was excited, and the first person I told
was Cathy. She shouted with joy at the news! She now has a husband
who has a normal job, rather than 2 jobs that work at different times. We
will have more income, and the opportunity to greatly help our financial
future.
With a huge increase in pay, we are
exploring options on how to save, the best ways to save, and to get rewards for
using a credit card. We plan to be responsible and pay it off in full
each month. We just want to start using one or two effectively to get
benefits for spending our own money.
I have learned through these experiences
that God is in control of our lives. I have learned I made a very good
choice in my wife, and she is very supportive, and constantly encourages me to
try new things, and to become a better husband and provider for our little
family.
