The interview process in Idaho was unconventional. I was interviewed by 17 people including one almost surreptitious interview in a junky car. But I get ahead of myself.
My mentor has an unusual way of hiring. Everyone in the office staff gets veto power to block a potential hire. The most important question he asks all of his staff is one of calling, “Is God calling this person called to work here?”
He even gave me an example of a nurse practitioner who was interviewed. She had good credentials, came from a good school and her values were consistent with the office. In short, she was a shoo-in. When the office staff convened, my mentor directly asked each person, is this person called? One by one they each answered yes. However, there was one staff who shook her head. No Doc, she is not called. That nurse practitioner was never hired. Turns out when she was asked a final time if she felt called to work at the office she herself said, no, God is not calling me to work here.
I flew into Spokane Thursday evening. My first interview was Friday morning at 8:00am in Spokane at a Pastor’s house. I was then shuttled over to the Spokane Valley clinic for interviews with a staff member, a physician’s assistant, and a billing department person via Skype.
Then a lady and her husband with a cane picked me up to drive me 45 minutes from Spokane Valley to the office in Hayden. I got in the back of a beat up car. She drove while her husband sat shotgun. I felt tired and just wanted to surf Facebook. But for some reason, this lady kept wanting to ask me questions. She asked me how my flight was, how interviews were going, if I liked the area. I gave short answers not being in a mood for small talk. Then she asked me, Do you feel called to work here?
At that moment my thoughts were, I’m so tired right now and don’t want to go into a long explanation. But this nice old lady, willing to take me to my next interview, wants to know me. I should be nice and share my story. At that point I put Facebook away and shared my story with this lady.
When I got to Hayden, I was met by my mentor. He asked the lady who drove me over, How was the interview with Andrew?
My jaw dropped. The whole car ride was actually an interview. I had came inches to unintentionally blowing off the conversation. If even one person felt like I wasn’t called then I wouldn’t be hired.
Interviews resumed the following day in the evening when I was questioned by the physician’s wife, another pastor my mentor works closely with, finally by my mentor himself. Interviews finished by midnight on Saturday night. After a brief’s night rest, I headed off to the airport while someone else called me over the phone – for another interview.
I was going to be called Monday of the following week. Monday of the following week came and no phone call. Tuesday came and no phone call. I was tempted to call and ask if they had forgotten about it. No, I thought, I’m going to trust that God is doing something here. If he wants me to go then the doors will open.
Wednesday came and finally a phone call. We’re not sure yet. There are people that still need to pray about it.
I braced myself for rejection. Thursday came and my phone rang. Do you still feel called? I was asked. Yes, I replied. Well you were interviewed by 17 people. And all 17 people agree that you have been called by God to work here.
I was overcome by emotion. I had been accepted to college and medical school. But I felt as if I had earned those offers. For the first time, I saw this offer as a gift. God had opened the doors and now I was going to step through it.
God works in mysterious ways. We don’t always understand all the events in life. But I’ve learned to trust that in whatever circumstance you’re in, God is up to something bigger. Whether it feels like the world around you is crashing down or you’re having a conversation with a stranger, tell yourself something bigger is going on here. Then believe that this something bigger is pulling you toward a future that is better and brighter.
3 Comments
interesting, will keep you in our prayers, there are some very freedom oriented people up there which is a good thing, if it is the freedom Messiah was talking about. All the best.
Blessing’s,
Uncle Jeff
Yes Uncle Jeff. People are very independent up here. I know a couple who live off the grid. They generate their own water and electricity. Definitely a high level of being self-sustaining.
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