Closing a 14-Year Chapter

It was early 1998, just a few months until our wedding day. And I needed a job. A month or two earlier, Zack had begun a position at a local auto insurance company, and he said there were a few open positions there. I applied for a claims secretary position, and soon began my first real world job.

After about 5 years in various positions in Claims, I was offered a position as an accounting analyst. I thought it would be good to learn about a different area of the business, so I accepted it. For two [very long] years, I worked in Accounting. I learned a lot, including the fact that accounting was not for me!

The Accounting department was adjacent to Product Management. A couple of the AVPs from that department began approaching me, asking if I'd be interested in coming to work with them. A few months later, I started in the department, and realized I'd finally found my niche.

I have been working in product management for about 7 years now. I'm a numbers geek, and my Type A personality has served me well in this position. My obsession with numbers and order skills have carried over to home: our family budget is a formula-heavy workbook filled with pivot tables and projections. And I'm notorious for creating spreadsheets to determine major purchase decisions or to manage details of family trips. I've climbed the proverbial ladder and experienced success. I look back at my beginning as an entry-level secretary, I feel that I have accomplished much in the professional world.

But in less than 2 weeks, I'll say good-bye to this world. I've worked in auto insurance for over 14 years. In that time, I've only worked for two companies. I've been blessed with so many opportunities to learn, grow, and advance. By all accounts, I have it great. No reason to move on, outside from God saying so. And as you've read in previous posts, that's exactly what He did! I've learned that a good job is nice, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying the stuff of life. But all of it is temporary, and it's not where I want to store my treasure.

Today is my last day alone at my desk. Tomorrow, my replacement will be here. Being that my current company is a fairly new competitor in the market, our team is relatively small. I'm the only one that does what I do here, so transferring all the 'intell' is critical. I'll have eight days to train him. To show him everything I've learned and developed over the past almost 3 years at this company.

Next Thursday afternoon, I'll walk out. With my small box of belongings, I'll get in my car and drive home from my office job for the last time. Away from the regular hours, the routine of typical daily tasks, a very generous paycheck, and the only industry I've ever known.

And I'll step into the next chapter. I'm scared. And nervous. And over-the-moon excited.

Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

~Matthew 6:19-21