Wednesday, October 11, 2006
All Because My Wife Told Me To Go To Hobby Lobby
"Do not be greived, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Nehemiah 8.10
Okay, so has anyone out there heard of Hobby Lobby. Well, I am now gainfully employed as a regular part time employee of Hobby Lobby.
I was realizing today, that one year ago I was pastoring a medium sized suburban church near Charlotte, NC. Six months ago I was living in Kansas City learning about intercessory prayer at IHOP-KC. And now, today, was my second day in the frame shop learning the art and craft of framing pictures for an hourly wage.
Our family needed to supplement our income, because our support base was not at a sustainable level. Several weeks ago, in my devotional time, I felt God lead me to "get a job." And so I began sending out resumes. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
So last week, in humility and desperation, I made a list of area big box stores, Target, Lowe's, Home Depot. I even checked out the possibility of teaching in area seminaries, universites, and schools. As I was headed out one day to see what the world had to offer, my wife mentions that I might check out Hobby Lobby. Now for those of you not acquainted with HL, it is an arts and crafts store, with everything, including custom framing [I'm foreshadowing here]. My pride and masculinity flinched, and then I decided to pursue it. What did I have to lose?
I walk into Hobby Lobby and fill out an application. I ask an assistant manager if they have any positions open. Among the list of positions open is a framer. She asks if I have any experience. No. But I apply anyway. I walk back to the frame shop to get an idea of what it's like. And I notice the music is somewhat familiar. I listen more carefully. No it can't be. Is that what I think it is. Yes. There is no doubt. It is Christian music. Hymns and contemporary songs set to a musical score. But why here?
After inquiring about the position in the frame shop, I am invited into the maangers office. We briefly discuss the position. I share up front that I am a pastor trying to build a prayer ministry and need to supplement our family income. He shares with me that HL is a company based on Christian principles and proceeds to tell me about the framing position and will get back in touch with me. My overall impression is very positive.
A few days later I'm in the managers office for an interview. The first 30 minutes is spent filling out papers and enduring a math test, without a calculator. Most of this math I haven't done since school. Elementary school. The other 30 minutes after one innocent question on my part, he tells me his family homeschools, his life was changed on an Emmaus Walk that he attended with his best friend and accountability partner, and that though he attends a baptist church, in the end, he simply wants to love Jesus!
So here I am, a missionary intercessor, working for a man who loves Jesus, in a store whose mission and vision are scripturally based, where they are closed on Sunday, and where they play Christian music all day. I am working in a marketplace prayer room! I wept for gratitude this morning on the way to work. I know that my hourly wage cannot sustain my family. I know that it is absolutley foolish in the eyes of the world for me to be "stuck" in some hourly wage job. And yet this is where God has me for now. Over the last two and a half months, this is the only door that has opened. And I have knocked on several doors. When I walked into the building, there was a spirit, no doubt the Holy Spirit that welcomed me. I did not feel that presence at Lowe's or Target, or any other place I sought employment of this kind.
I don't know why God has me here. I only know this is where I am. And my job is to remain faithful and grateful and make the most of the opportunity.
All because my wife told me to go to Hobby Lobby.
Nehemiah 8.10
Okay, so has anyone out there heard of Hobby Lobby. Well, I am now gainfully employed as a regular part time employee of Hobby Lobby.
I was realizing today, that one year ago I was pastoring a medium sized suburban church near Charlotte, NC. Six months ago I was living in Kansas City learning about intercessory prayer at IHOP-KC. And now, today, was my second day in the frame shop learning the art and craft of framing pictures for an hourly wage.
Our family needed to supplement our income, because our support base was not at a sustainable level. Several weeks ago, in my devotional time, I felt God lead me to "get a job." And so I began sending out resumes. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
So last week, in humility and desperation, I made a list of area big box stores, Target, Lowe's, Home Depot. I even checked out the possibility of teaching in area seminaries, universites, and schools. As I was headed out one day to see what the world had to offer, my wife mentions that I might check out Hobby Lobby. Now for those of you not acquainted with HL, it is an arts and crafts store, with everything, including custom framing [I'm foreshadowing here]. My pride and masculinity flinched, and then I decided to pursue it. What did I have to lose?
I walk into Hobby Lobby and fill out an application. I ask an assistant manager if they have any positions open. Among the list of positions open is a framer. She asks if I have any experience. No. But I apply anyway. I walk back to the frame shop to get an idea of what it's like. And I notice the music is somewhat familiar. I listen more carefully. No it can't be. Is that what I think it is. Yes. There is no doubt. It is Christian music. Hymns and contemporary songs set to a musical score. But why here?
After inquiring about the position in the frame shop, I am invited into the maangers office. We briefly discuss the position. I share up front that I am a pastor trying to build a prayer ministry and need to supplement our family income. He shares with me that HL is a company based on Christian principles and proceeds to tell me about the framing position and will get back in touch with me. My overall impression is very positive.
A few days later I'm in the managers office for an interview. The first 30 minutes is spent filling out papers and enduring a math test, without a calculator. Most of this math I haven't done since school. Elementary school. The other 30 minutes after one innocent question on my part, he tells me his family homeschools, his life was changed on an Emmaus Walk that he attended with his best friend and accountability partner, and that though he attends a baptist church, in the end, he simply wants to love Jesus!
So here I am, a missionary intercessor, working for a man who loves Jesus, in a store whose mission and vision are scripturally based, where they are closed on Sunday, and where they play Christian music all day. I am working in a marketplace prayer room! I wept for gratitude this morning on the way to work. I know that my hourly wage cannot sustain my family. I know that it is absolutley foolish in the eyes of the world for me to be "stuck" in some hourly wage job. And yet this is where God has me for now. Over the last two and a half months, this is the only door that has opened. And I have knocked on several doors. When I walked into the building, there was a spirit, no doubt the Holy Spirit that welcomed me. I did not feel that presence at Lowe's or Target, or any other place I sought employment of this kind.
I don't know why God has me here. I only know this is where I am. And my job is to remain faithful and grateful and make the most of the opportunity.
All because my wife told me to go to Hobby Lobby.
