I started a new business there selling auto parts again but
this time wholesale. Business shaped up so fast that my dad came out of
retirement and began working for me. We had a great time together and business
was booming. After five years, I sold the business and stayed on as a salesman for
the new owner. He had a business partner that ran the business to the ground financially.
After a couple of months, I left the company not wanting to be part of the way
the business was being conducted.
Phone call #1
I received a phone call from a supplier I had used for many years asking if I wanted to come work for him while looking for a new full-time job. I went to work for a large wholesaler in Dallas, Texas working in their call center with eight women. They knew me from being a long-time customer, so it was fun working with them. However, all of them smoked and by the end of the day I was reeking of stale smoke.
Phone call #2
I got a call from a guy that owned a wholesale auto parts company that was once my competitor. He wanted me to join his company as outside sales since I knew most all the customers in that area and was well known. I started and did very well with this company. However, things were not what they looked like. The company was in turmoil internally with their employees and owners. I was looking for something else when I got…
Phone call #3
A friend of mine, that had a repair shop that I had sold to for many years, called me and told me about a company that had just opened and was looking for sales people. He gave me the name and I called them and within a few weeks I was employed there. It was a great company and soon became District Sales Manager for the Fort Worth area. I stayed there 5 years and loved it. It was while working there that I made the transition from secular to church work. I was called to be on staff at my first church as Business Manager. I accepted and made the jump to church work. I stayed there for many years and loved it. Strange as it may seem, I found myself out of work after a 5 years there. It’s a long story and not for this article.
Phone call #4
I received a call from a friend that heard I was unemployed and he asked me to come work for him. He owned 4 businesses and needed someone to handle the accouting for him at his corporate office. He literally had lost all his staff and when I arrived it was just me to run the place. I accepted and spent six months helping him out and trying to keep his business matters running. It was a fun adventure and I learned a lot there.
Phone call #5
I received a call from an Executive Pastor of a church in Fort Worth looking for a church Business Manager. We met one day and visited for a while and found out I had been referred to him by a friend. It was just what I was looking for and so I accepted and become the Business Manager at this church. I stayed there for 7 years and loved it so much. I grew as a business leader and made lifelong friends there. I had no real intentions of leaving there any time soon but, I got the phone call again.
Phone call #6
I received a call from a pastor at a church in Waco, Texas that was referred to me by a friend. He wanted to meet me and visit about joining his staff there. We met in Hillsboro one day and hit it off together great. I told him that as along as God opened doors for me I would continue to pursue this. It all worked out well and I made the move from Fort Worth to Waco. It was a great church and the pastor and staff were awesome. I loved it there and grew so much in my business experience and my walk with Christ. The pastor resigned abruptly after four years. I stayed on as the Executive Pastor and spent the next two years there without a senior pastor. Finally, a new pastor was brought on and after three years of dysfunctional leadership and friction in the staff, I chose to move on. Weird, no phone call this time.
Phone call #1
I received a phone call from a supplier I had used for many years asking if I wanted to come work for him while looking for a new full-time job. I went to work for a large wholesaler in Dallas, Texas working in their call center with eight women. They knew me from being a long-time customer, so it was fun working with them. However, all of them smoked and by the end of the day I was reeking of stale smoke.
Phone call #2
I got a call from a guy that owned a wholesale auto parts company that was once my competitor. He wanted me to join his company as outside sales since I knew most all the customers in that area and was well known. I started and did very well with this company. However, things were not what they looked like. The company was in turmoil internally with their employees and owners. I was looking for something else when I got…
Phone call #3
A friend of mine, that had a repair shop that I had sold to for many years, called me and told me about a company that had just opened and was looking for sales people. He gave me the name and I called them and within a few weeks I was employed there. It was a great company and soon became District Sales Manager for the Fort Worth area. I stayed there 5 years and loved it. It was while working there that I made the transition from secular to church work. I was called to be on staff at my first church as Business Manager. I accepted and made the jump to church work. I stayed there for many years and loved it. Strange as it may seem, I found myself out of work after a 5 years there. It’s a long story and not for this article.
Phone call #4
I received a call from a friend that heard I was unemployed and he asked me to come work for him. He owned 4 businesses and needed someone to handle the accouting for him at his corporate office. He literally had lost all his staff and when I arrived it was just me to run the place. I accepted and spent six months helping him out and trying to keep his business matters running. It was a fun adventure and I learned a lot there.
Phone call #5
I received a call from an Executive Pastor of a church in Fort Worth looking for a church Business Manager. We met one day and visited for a while and found out I had been referred to him by a friend. It was just what I was looking for and so I accepted and become the Business Manager at this church. I stayed there for 7 years and loved it so much. I grew as a business leader and made lifelong friends there. I had no real intentions of leaving there any time soon but, I got the phone call again.
Phone call #6
I received a call from a pastor at a church in Waco, Texas that was referred to me by a friend. He wanted to meet me and visit about joining his staff there. We met in Hillsboro one day and hit it off together great. I told him that as along as God opened doors for me I would continue to pursue this. It all worked out well and I made the move from Fort Worth to Waco. It was a great church and the pastor and staff were awesome. I loved it there and grew so much in my business experience and my walk with Christ. The pastor resigned abruptly after four years. I stayed on as the Executive Pastor and spent the next two years there without a senior pastor. Finally, a new pastor was brought on and after three years of dysfunctional leadership and friction in the staff, I chose to move on. Weird, no phone call this time.
We sold the house there in Waco and moved to Marble Falls,
Texas where I had been hanging out waiting to see where and what I would do
next. It was very awkward to not get a
phone call. That has always been the norm from the very beginning, but not
this time. I asked the Lord why this was happening and what was going on. Why
was there no phone call? After eleven months of waiting and searching for work
and almost exasperated from the long wait of nothing happening in the job area
for me, I GOT THE PHONE CALL.
Phone call #7
I received a call from a friend in Fort Worth telling me about a church position that just came open. He referred me to a person to contact and I did right away. Within an hour I had a phone call from the Executive Pastor of the church looking and we visited for about an hour on the phone. He was very interested in me and I was very interested in what he was describing to me about the church. He invited me and my wife to come attend worship services the next Sunday and check out the church before we moved forward with this opportunity.
Phone call #7
I received a call from a friend in Fort Worth telling me about a church position that just came open. He referred me to a person to contact and I did right away. Within an hour I had a phone call from the Executive Pastor of the church looking and we visited for about an hour on the phone. He was very interested in me and I was very interested in what he was describing to me about the church. He invited me and my wife to come attend worship services the next Sunday and check out the church before we moved forward with this opportunity.
Three weeks later I was voted in for the new position and
started a couple weeks later. I started at the new church exactly one year, to
the day, from the day I left the previous church. All I can say at this point
is the number 7 in the Bible means completeness and perfectness. Did you notice
what the last phone call I received was? That’s right…number 7! God is good, all the time!
Comments? Suggestions?
