Prayer Request for a Friend

I'm not sure what to do now, other than pray.

My co-designer at my current job, A, had an interview today in her hometown for a job as a designer.  She would be doing work that is different than what we do now.  She texted me how she thought things went today in regard to the interview & if she will like the job, etc.  A thinks the interview went well, but she's not sure that she wants to do that kind of stuff.  And she's not sure that she will get along well with a few of the other women who will work there.

I'm frustrated for her & a little angry.  I want so bad for her to also leave the current company with me.  The company now is going downhill extremely fast.  It will not get better.

After I dropped the bomb on M&L on Sunday night, they had called A over to visit with her and see what her intentions were.  She was honest about what she liked & didn't like.  She wasn't sure whether to tell them that she had an interview in her hometown or not, but ultimately decided on Monday morning that she should tell them.  Now M&L were extremely upset.  If A were to leave, they would lose both their designers (you can't sell jobs without someone to design & quote them!).  L has an attitude anyway about certain things, and this made her fly off the handle.  She had words with her son & they had a big argument, as her son wants M&L out of the company (and specifically told them so) or he will quit.  L has been giving both myself, A & her son the cold shoulder since Monday, not saying anything, not answering our phone calls or even making eye contact with us.  It has been awkward to say the least, being motivated to work hard these last two weeks trying to finish things up, with someone who thinks you're the worst person in the world.

The threat about the son leaving wasn't an empty threat, so M&L met with a lawyer on Wednesday to transfer the ownership of their company to their son.  The son is hiring his BIL & his BIL's wife, as well as adding another person as a delivery person.  But no additional designer to help A out.  It is hard enough with just A & myself, and now after I leave, she won't get any help.  The son thinks we just waste time & don't do anything all day.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  There is so much more crazy to the story that the son wants to do with "his" new company, but you wouldn't believe it if I tried to tell you.

I'd so hoped that A could leave soon after I left to escape this utter craziness, but it is not looking that way.  She went to a home improvement store today after her interview to inquire about a design position, but they hired a new designer yesterday.  Yes.  Really.

It seems like A is getting battered left & right.  She has had about 8 hours of conversation after work hours within two days with M&L and the son.  She is fed up with all the drama that this job entails, but she is the major breadwinner in her family & has two young kids, so getting a good job is of the utmost importance.  She can't just leave without another job lined up.

Myself, on the other hand, didn't even plan to look for a job until one afternoon, found the position randomly, applied a few days later, got offered the job later that week on the same day as my interview & found a rental house in my hometown within a week.  God is being so gracious to me, but seems to ignore her.  Why?

Could you please pray for A?  Pray that her spirits are lifted, that she finds a job opportunity close to home, that her husband finds a job, for St. Joseph to guide her in her job search, for peace in her heart & for the crazy owners to stop harassing her about a decision to stay or not.  I am trying to believe that God has something better for her in mind.  I know A is disappointed & frustrated at having to stay with the current company but wanting desperately to leave & find a better job.  She has been a true friend & I want to do something more for her than pray.  The only thing I can do more for her is to humbly ask you to join my plea.

Acceptance

We've decided to move back to my hometown & for me to accept the job offer I've been given.  Since DH was in Canada since Wednesday, we'd only been able to have phone conversations about whether or not to take the leap of faith and accept the job and move.  After making an extensive pro & con list, we decided that the pros did in fact outweigh the cons.  The two biggest cons were leaving our beautiful home & leaving my job (that included telling the bosses).

I talked all weekend with my family & in-laws about whether or not to move & take the job.  Everyone was in agreement that this job would be more dead end down the road, the company would go downhill, my co-designer would leave & I would be unhappy that I missed the opportunity for the job that is currently offered.  

As I drove back from my hometown & the in-laws house today, I thought that this evening would be as good as any to go over to the owners' house & give them the news that I would be putting in my two weeks.  I prayed & asked Jesus to be right beside me holding my hand.  I asked St. Joseph to give me the right words to say, as he was the one who guided his family on the flight to Egypt, so would he watch over our "flight" now.  

A neat thing that I just realized today (nothing like a lightbulb moment!), is that to get to my new job in my hometown, I travel from the main downtown road and turn onto St. Joseph Avenue, which runs right into the building where I will work.   Imagine that.  St. Joseph's patronage & watchful presence wherever I go.  :-)  I do really believe he interceded for bringing Luke into our family, as I have definitely asked his intercession since then more frequently.

I texted M (the boss) and L (his wife) to ask if I could stop by tonight to talk to them.  I wanted to vomit just thinking about telling them and wanted to not even give two weeks notice ... just not show up.  I had DH go over a few lines with me about how to start the conversation & I rehearsed them over and over and over and over for about a half hour & all the way to their house.  I just wanted to get it over with.  L opened the door & led me back to the family room where M was.  She sat down & I sat down. We exchanged a few pleasantries.  Then I said my piece, "Since Luke was born, DH & I have wanted to be closer to family.  We have decided to move back to my hometown in the next few weeks & I wanted to stop by tonight to let you know & to give you my two weeks notice."  

They asked me a few questions, "How, When, Why, is it because of our son taking over?"  All I said was because of family & gave several examples.  They said they understood the reason & that they would miss me both personally & professionally.  They said that the company would be hurt by my leaving & they asked who would organize things if I was gone.  I told them I hadn't talked to anyone about this, not even my fellow designer (which is stretching the truth a bit).  I told them jokingly that BIL would have to come over sooner to take over, to which they said that if BIL came over to help their Son, it would be in the warehouse, not in the office.  Well ... they've got to come up with a plan for that now.  They said that I was like a daughter to them & they hated to see me, DH & Luke leave.  I apologized for leaving through tears, got several hugs from L & left.  The tears were real.  I am truly sorry to leave & for the impact it will have on their business.

The next thing I know is that my fellow designer (who wants to leave ASAP too) texts me and says that M&L want her to come over to their house.  I tell her that I haven't said anything about her wanting to leave.  She is nervous & terrified about what they will talk to her about.  I told her I was praying for her and I have been.  It is hard to be untruthful, but if your heart isn't in the job anymore, it is time to move on.  

Tomorrow, I get to call the manager at my new job & tell them I accept their offer, as well as put in an application on a rental house.  It is both nerve-wracking and exciting to be moving forward with a new job & city, leaving everything I've known for eight years behind.

** UPDATE:  So I called my friend, the designer who works with me, to ask how her conversation with M&L went.  She was there for an hour and forty five minutes!  They apparently were blindsided by my leave.  She gave me the info that when M&L told their son I was leaving, all he said was "I figured she would, it is no big deal."  Oooohhhh, I am so mad!  I'm glad I'm leaving.  He doesn't know what he's missing!

Job Offer

It has been a whirlwind of a day!! But I got a job offer out of it!

I was woken up by Luke this morning about 4:30 am for a bottle. I stays up packing and getting myself ready so we could leave by 6:30. Well, we left about 7:15 am. It is hard getting everything put together yourself instead of having a helper with a DH. Luke did well on the trip traveling & took a nap on the road. We ended up at my parents house about 1/2 hour prior and I dropped Luke off to change clothes & scurry out. Luke forgot who Grandma and Aunt N were, so he bawled as I was running around & leaving. I felt terrible, but it confirmed that this is exactly why I want to move. I want Luke to know his family.

The gal I spoke to on the phone was very nice! She interviewed me with the designer J who is still there. I liked them both immediately! It was more of a conversation than an interview. They have health insurance & benefits like paid time off (earn hours based on perfect attendance), no Saturdays, maternity leave, etc. it is a much more organized and streamlined company! I am only responsible for a much smaller piece of the pie than what I am now. They can also get very close on salary to what I need. I need to crunch #'s on how it will work on one income, but I think it will work. We also need to find a rental house, as my SIL & BIL have rented it. I'm thinking that's ok, as you probably don't want to rent to family anyway.

I'm nervous about telling my current bosses on Mon morning. That is the worst thing I can think of right now.