Further Adventures at Large Unnamed Banking Institution (LUBI)

Yesterday was my last day as the Customer Service Manager for the Pioneer Square branch of LUBI. My leaving the branch came as a shock to quite a few people, including myself. But in reflecting over how I got to this point, I suppose it's not really that surprising.

Now, don't get worried. I am not wandering the abyss of unemployment just yet. I was actually offered another position in another department of LUBI. So Monday I begin my life as a sales assistant in our investments and insurance division, doing operations for a financial advisor who serves the wealth management group. I'll have an opportunity to get my full set of investment and insurance licenses and learn a whole new side of the banking industry. And there's a whole set of other benefits to the job, mainly the fact that I will no longer have to work 50 hours and get paid for 40. Long description made short: I went from being a manager to being an assistant, and I'm making more money. How's that for a smart career move?

This position isn't something I sought out. I didn't even know it existed until the aforementioned financial advisor called me up and asked me to apply. While I have always had an interest in investments, I had not planned on leaving branch land for some time (unless, of course, some wealthy, handsome, young Christian man of good moral character swept me off my feet and told me I could do volunteer work for the rest of my life). I had an idea of where I would go next, what my next job would be, all of that. I felt that this would be my last year as a CSM, but thought I knew where I was going.

Wrong!

This reminds me of when I was in college. I had life all figured out: I was studying to be a teacher and I was not going to be one of those kids who didn't ever use their degree. I knew who I was going to marry and how many kids we were going to have and what I wanted to name them. Where I would work, how long I would work before I would have kids, when I would go back to work after the kids were in school, you name it. All planned, in a nice neat package.

And, you guessed it, I was wrong!

See, God has this funny way of changing things on me. You may remember from my birthday post how my life now is not at all what I had planned. I guess God got a laugh out of reading that one and decided to mix things up again. Just a few weeks later and my life is in major transition. Always keeping me on my toes, that guy.

One of these years I am going to write a book, the title of which shall be: Dear Lord, My Lap is Sore From All the Things You've Dropped In It. In this book I shall remind the reader that when opportunities come our way, we have to prayerfully consider them, and then throw caution and perfectly laid plans to the wind and go for it. Too often we are so protective of our own comfort zone to see the possibilities out there. I hate the stress of change as much as the next control freak, but I have learned that relaxing and letting God lead makes you a much happier person. Yesterday, even in the midst of all the last-day emotions, I felt such a deep peace about my decision. I am so grateful that God has blessed me with another opportunity to learn to trust His plan instead of mine and I'm excited to see what the next few months and years have in store.