On the 16th of October, I was waiting for my turn to be issued a special computer access card in the ID office of the hospital. Two hours had passed and though I was completely engrossed in The Count of Monte Cristo, I noticed when an older military couple walked in. The husband was obviously a high ranking officer in the Navy, and his wife was very obviously an officer's wife. She was very regal and elegant, dressed in a beautiful crayola blue angora sweater. She called to mind all the duties and sacrifices an officer's wife is called to, and a thought crossed my mind. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was harmless. Whatever it was, it was simple.
"I could do that..."
Another question followed immediately. "Perhaps you could - but would you?"
It's not often I can say with confidence that I know the voice of God when I hear it, but boy, did I hear it then. Would I? Well, if there's one place you have unlimited, undisturbed time to think, its in a military pass and ID office. I turned the question over and over in my mind, I a most remarkable thing happened - in an instant, I felt my heart change.
I'd walked into that office as a woman who'd grown up in a military family and hated it. I felt I'd done my 20 years and had retired - I'd paid my time. I had forbade my husband to even consider the military because the cons outweighed the pros. It was a terrible way to raise kids. It kept families apart. It could be dangerous. It was just out of the question.
But my heart changed. Suddenly my answer to "would you" switched from "absolutely not" to "yes".
Don't be confused here folks. This wasn't just me maturing. It wasn't getting more information to make a better judgement. I didn't finally 'see things logically'. I still think it's a terrible way to raise kids. I still think it keeps families apart and that's bad. It could still be dangerous. The difference isn't that the military suddenly became appealing or good - it's that God imparted faith to walk through that lifestyle.
So what was I to do? Jump over to the recruitment office? Certainly not. I prayed and asked God, and I felt he wanted me to simply call my husband and release him to consider the military as a career choice if he thought it was best for our family.
So I did - and Stephan told me he'd been thinking about it for years but would have never acted on it without my blessing. Now he had it and he would.
So he found a recruiter and began a dialogue. There were tests to take, physicals to do, interviews to hold. It was going to be a process. We had no idea how long (or short) it would be. We kept praying.
One Sunday during this time I saw an advertisement in the church bulletin. The Alpha administrator was vacating her position and they were seeking to fill it. I elbowed Stephan and pointed.
"You have to apply," he said.
I nodded. He was right. I hadn't been looking to change jobs. I liked my current job. My coworkers were awesome. My boss was fantastic. But this was the Alpha administrator position. The Alpha ministry is a 10-week intro to Christianity. I loved this program. I already volunteered for it. I loved seeing unbelievers come and get to ask their questions without feeling pressure. Some of them came to faith in Christ, some just left more knowledgeable. Either way, they heard the gospel, and I loved seeing that happen. Ever since my first Alpha session I'd wanted to have the administrator job. That had been almost 3 years ago. Now it was open. I couldn't not apply. But I was nervous about it - what if the military called us away in a couple months?
"We'll just walk through it in faith," Stephan kept telling me. "God will put the perfect person into that job."
And that became another of our morning prayers. "God, give Stephan a job with better pay, better hours, and tuition assistance before the holidays, and please put the perfect person into the Alpha admin job, even if it isn't Kari."
October turned to November and the first week passed. I applied and had two interviews in that time. Then came election day - my birthday. I was sitting at my desk when a vaguely familiar number showed up on the caller ID. I couldn't place it, so I just picked up and answered as I did for my office.
"This is Stephanie," I said.
"Hello, is this Kari?" a man's voice asked.
I gripped the edge of my desk. It was the outreach pastor - he'd be my boss if I got the job. I knew the number now. "Yes," I said.
After awkwardly asking if I could call him right back, I took my cell phone and ran down to the courtyard. My thoughts were wild. What if I got the job? The military might call me away. We just didn't know. I should probably turn it down. It wouldn't be fair to accept the position only to resign right after. I was excited to think I might have gotten it, but a little wary - and almost hopefuly that this wasn't an offer.
I called the pastor back once outside.
"I'm calling to let you know that after prayerful consideration we've decided to offer the position to someone else."
"Oh! Great!" I cried.
"Pardon?"
"I'm sorry, go ahead."
He went on to say that I wasn't being hired, but asked if I was willing to be considered for other positions if the church had need. He knew of some changes being made in the office and forsaw the church needing to hire again. "Would you like to be considered if something comes up in the next few months?"
"Yes!" I said. "This actually works out perfectly. My husband and I have a decision to make in the next few weeks, so I'll be in a better position to give the church definite answers then. I'd love to be considered later."
I was glad to have been turned down. My prayer was that God would put the perfect person into the job - and I really had faith that he had.
November waned. Stephan was getting signals from work that they may fire him. He was nervous, but still a pillar of faith. He knew no one could touch him unless God had allowed and planned for it. He had applied and interviewed with both Verizon wireless and Starbucks for jobs, and we were waiting to hear back. We kept praying our prayers, thinking the military would be the answer to them.
During that time Stephan continued to pursue the military. We got a time frame. We'd be in the area at least another year. Apparently it was a long process. But at least now we knew. We were pretty much committed to giving the Military a real shot by this point.
An offer finally an offer came from Verizon wireless. Stephan would get a raise in base pay, plus the potential for commission and bonuses. His hours wouldn't be as harsh. They even offered an amount of unrestricted tuition assistance. And it was still a week before Thanksgiving. He had to do a background check and then they could give him a start date.
A couple days after that the mysterious phone number showed up on my caller ID at work again.
"This is Kari," I answered.
"Recognized my number?" the outreach pastor said.
"Yes sir," I replied.
He went on to tell me that due to some changes in his team he was in a position to hire again. The Alpha admin job had been vacated and he wanted to offer it to me.
I had to come clean about the military with him then - but because I had a time frame to give him he said it wasn't a problem.
"I--This is--can I talk to my husband and call you back?" I asked.
Another run down to the courtyard to talk to Stephan.
"Well, you prayed that God would put the perfect person into the job. Maybe it's you," he said.
We decided we were in faith to accept the offer, but that we wouldn't tell my office until Verizon got back to us about Stephan's background check and gave him a start date.
The week of Thanksgiving arrived. No word from Verizon on Monday. On Tuesday I looked at the calendar and called Stephan.
"I know we haven't heard back from Verizon yet," I said, "but I'm looking at the calendar, and it's the week of Thanksgiving. What if they don't get back to you before the holiday? I wouldn't be able to give a proper two weeks notice here."
"You're right," he said. "Go ahead and tell your boss. We'll step out in faith that nothing will have gone wrong with my background check."
I hung up and told my boss I was resigning. Then I told my officemate. Then I waited and told the course director. Once they all knew, I sent an email out to my department. Everyone knew. It was official.
In the early afternoon my phone rang. It was Stephan.
"My background check cleared. I start on the 7th."
We both marveled at how hours after I resigned in faith that his background check would clear, it cleared.
And all before the holidays.
"...if we are faithless, he remains faithful-- for he cannot deny himself." --2 Timothy 2:13
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