I've always been terrible at coming up with titles. My professor in college once circled the heading on my paper and wrote, in red pencil no less, "Title Nightmare". Awesome. Some things just never change, so I'm going with the obvious: yes, Isaac is switching jobs. His new job is what allowed us to have all these lovely adventures in May that I've just blogged about en masse (and then dated back so they're in order). But I'm telling this story out of order. Let's go back to the start.
Back in the fall Uncle Bob and Aunt Patty approached Isaac about a potential job opportunity. We were really excited to hear that they had a friend who owned a Home Inspecting company who was looking for a partner to handle the overflow from his business and eventually take over when he retired in a few years. Yes! Yes, that sounds amazing! A few days later Isaac received a phone call from this friend and grew even more excited. We did some googling and learned more about the role of home inspectors. It sounded right up Isaac's alley. Then we heard nothing more from him. We followed up with Isaac's aunt and uncle and they told us the owner was really busy and not to worry, we'd likely hear.
Around the same time Isaac applied to be a tax appraiser for King County. He got a call back for a second interview and we ultimately found out that he'd been selected as a candidate. There was only one immediate opening and that had been filled already, but they'd keep his name on the list for the next 12 months and call him when there was an opening (apparently there are a hundred -- maybe hundreds -- appraisers for King County -- duh, right? I thought there were like 5.) We felt good, God had given us an answer, it was "wait", but we felt like He was opening doors for Isaac to transition out of his job at CBRE.
We are so thankful for his employment at CBRE, that they were willing to take a chance on Isaac when he didn't have the degree or job experience they normally require. They provided us an income that eased my mind as we prepared for, and received the greatest blessing of our marriage: Lucy Margaret. The job stretched Isaac and gave him a great entry on his resume. Beyond meeting our needs with excellent insurance and a paycheck each month, it clarified for Isaac the kind of career he wanted to pursue. For him the world of finance and working in a big city (downtown Seattle) wasn't for him. He wanted a more hands-on job that would allow him mental energy and mindspace to create and to write, the emotional energy to love his family and be engaged when he was home, not constantly worrying about his latest report.
Jump to April and we were still waiting and praying. Isaac applied for and got an interview to be a septic tank engineer in Gig Harbor. I made him promise that if he got that job he'd have a dedicated set of work clothes and he'd shower the minute he got home (and, you know, only drive his car to work) and with those conditions I was happy for him to take the job if offered. At the same time we received an invitation to lunch with Patty and Bob.
We met to catch up with our aunt and uncle and the topic of career came up. They asked if Isaac was still interested in pursuing home inspecting. We had thought that God had closed that door, so we were thrilled to hear it was still an option. Yes! We're interested! Uncle Bob called his friend on the spot and we set up a time for Isaac to meet with him. Praise the Lord! We'd prayed for this opportunity! We felt certain that if he just met Isaac he'd give him the chance.
Isaac met with him soon thereafter, and I waited anxiously at home, watching the clock. The longer I waited the more excited I became: if the meeting wasn't going well it would have been short. A long meeting meant hashing out details and gathering information. Yes! Isaac came home and told me, "we're going to be small business owners. Are you ready to do this? To help me run a business?" Yes! I have no idea what that entails (we're still figuring that out), but YES! This is clearly what God has been preparing us for and for us! There were many details to work out about the partnership agreement, the training and certification necessary, etc, but it was going to happen!
As we began to research the training necessary we saw that the next class was being held May 31st for 14 consecutive days. This was mid April and the training is only held biannually in Washington. Okay, Lord, we're starting to see why you made us wait. We had to trust You (always a valuable lesson, we got to see how God aligned everything for us to transition smoothly and quickly into this opportunity. We were able to save so that we are able to stay out of debt throughout the transition, Isaac didn't have months of trying to stay engaged at CBRE whilst knowing he was going to be starting a new venture.
He gave his notice at CBRE and his last day was April 30th. We had agreed to take the month of May to spend together as a family. We didn't know if we'd have the chance to vacation again for some time as he's going to give this new venture his all. As you can see from the blog, we made the most of our time off both staying local and traveling. We spent so much great time together. Isaac was free to be engaged and the change I saw and felt in him was incredible! A great burden had been lifted from his shoulders: he was present, he was happy, content, and willing to take on all my crazy condo projects.
We had the time, energy, and finances (Thank you, Lord!) to finish remodeling our condo. We knocked off my entire (long!) list of projects to get it ready to sell. We're staying put for now and enjoying the fruits of our labor. It's a joy to us to actually be able to enjoy all those things that normally don't get done until just before listing. We know that when we do decide to sell our to-do list will be short. We may never live in a "finished" home again, so we're soaking up each moment!
This week Isaac started his training at Renton Technical College -- another blessing! Since the training is 14 consecutive days, if it was out of town he'd have to pay for lodging. There are guys from all over the state coming into town for this, for Isaac it's a 15 minute commute. Another of God's provisions! He'll have one week off in between the class training and the hands-on training, then he'll spend some time shadowing his new partner so they can be on the same page as far as customer service, then we're off! We'll keep you updated on his journey as we go! It's a big adventure, full of unknowns, but we know one thing for sure: We are in God's hands and His plans are perfect. We are praying this job will give Isaac the opportunity to share the Gospel through his relationships with realtors and his partner both through his speech and how he works and lives his life and runs his business.
Whew! So here we go! Anyone need a home inspection in a month or so? :)
* no more suit and tie days
* Lucy: "Where dada?"
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