The Trial of Faith

From the time I was young, my life has been about learning to work in new and different ways.  From the time I was 8, I delivered papers for the Springville Herald, a weekly newspaper. Of course, that meant that I also needed to go around to the residents to collect the monthly fees.  During the summer months, I also worked a lot on our farm, as well as on my Uncle's farm.  My cousin Robert and I would be at the first of the conveyor belt to pull out leaves, twigs and obvious culls from the cherries, peaches, and any other fruit that happened to be in season.  Later, I picked the fruit for my summer wages. When I was old enough to work, I got a job digging & cleaning ditches for the Springville Irrigation authority.  I also worked for my dad's boss throwing tires, and changing tires. 
I worked for many years at the tire shop, and in fact, mostly worked my way through college at Johnson Tire Service.  I became proficient at changing large truck and farm implement tires.  I also worked for one summer in the recap department.
Of course, my Dad was a perfect example of hard work, so as I grew and matured, I recognized that work, any honest work, was ennobling and helped to shape the character of a man. 
When I graduated, I was employed by Arthur Andersen  Co., one of the "Big 8" international accounting firms. It turns out, I was not a good auditor.  I didn't have the attention span for that kind of detail.  My mind would constantly race ahead of where I was supposed to be. So after 2 years, I left that job and went to work for a Cal Gas Corporation, a very large propane distributor.  After 5 years in Idaho, they moved our family to Tucson. 
   This was the first big trial.  I knew that I had employment in Tucson, but we were having a very hard time selling the house in Boise.  For 5 months, I lived in Tucson while my family was in Idaho.  Every two or three weeks, I would fly back to Idaho for the weekend.  Kayleen and I both prayed and fasted that our family could be re-united again, but the days and weeks continued to drag on.  At last I decided that if I couldn't sell the house, perhaps we needed to stay in Idaho, so I began interviewing for work in Boise.  That didn't work either. 

   One Monday, just before Christmas break, I was driving to Show Low to do my work.  It was early in the day, and I was talking to Father, trying to understand what He would have us do.  I received a Spiritual witness, that the trial was done.  It was over.  I felt the elation, even though I did not yet know how it would end.  That night I called Kayleen, and she said that someone had put an offer on the house, but it was less than we owed.  We let the offer lapse.  Later that week an LDS couple walked through the house. They later said that it was like coming home.  They received a confirmation that they were to by that house at 9953 Bigwood Drive in Boise.  The house closed withing a month, during which time I bought a house in Tucson, where we still live.
   Now fast forward to 1994.  I was working for Horizon Moving Systems.  The owner's son came into the business, and for a number of reasons, we butted heads.  In the Fall of 1994, I began to pray for help in obtaining new employment, where I could be happy and where I could be of greater assistance to the owners.  Over a 3 year period, I prayed and fasted that I would be able to change my situation.  Every time I asked if I could quit, Father gave me a resounding "NO," but then He would send me some gift, in the form a dream or other revelation to help me.

  Once I dreamed I was wrestling. (Anyone who has ever been a wrestling match knows how totally exhausting that can be.) I was tired, very tired.  I felt myself go over onto my back, and I was about to be pinned.  But then I heard the "Coach" yelling encouragement from the sidelines.  I responded to the Coach, I was able to get a reversal on my opponent, and pin him to the mat.  I printed out a picture of a wrestling match and hung it in my cubicle to remind me of the dream. 
  Another time I dreamed that a ship with a very important payload had set sail, and was on its way to bring me something of great value.  I printed out a picture of a sailing ship and hung it in my cubicle, to remind me that Father knew me, and had something on its way for me.
In November 1997 I had another dream.  It was on a Friday evening. In the dream, I climbed the side of a very high overpass.  I got to the top looked both directions, and the slide ( like on a playground slide) down the road to the bottom of the overpass. 
  I then brushed off my trousers and started walking down the road.  I emailed the dream to my sister, and she called me. She said, "The trial is over.  I don't know how it is going to end, but it is over." 
On Monday, my boss took me to lunch and asked me to resign.  He had a severance package ready for me to review.  He suggested I have my lawyer look at the severance offer.  I took the offer to the legal counsel for the College (I had been elected to the Governing Board of the College.)  The lawyer made some suggestions, had it re-typed, and I took it back to my boss.  Basically, I received 6 months pay for going quietly. 
  I was very disturbed though, so I went to the Mesa Temple on the next Thursday.  I was fasting, and I knew that this was the culmination of 3 years of prayers.  The whole experience was beyond my ability to describe, but while in the Celestial Room, I saw what I needed to do.  I came out of the temple with a different attitude.  I knew, absolutely knew, that 1) Father knew who I was, 2) he had heard my prayers, and 3) He had a blessing for me, and I just needed to find out what that blessing was.  From then on, the job search was more like the weeks leading up to an exciting Christmas.  I was getting a present from God. 
  From November through January 1998, I worked at finding that present.  I would get up at 4:00 AM , to be online at the time the offices on the East Coast opened.  I worked until about 10:00 or 11:00 each day.  I took up painting, to stimulate my right brain activity.  I exercised most days, cooked for the family and cleaned the house.  In late January, I had a series of interviews that lead to the employment I currently have.  It was a most interesting and amazing journey.  I still know that Father lives and that He loves ME.  For all my imperfections, faults and failings, He loves me.  Just like the people in the Martin Handcart Company, the journey was hard, but I would not change a thing.  Looking back, I know that the trial was meant for me. It was set for me as an individual, to teach me the very things I needed to learn.