When I was a child my mother used the old saying when God shuts a door he opens a window. I thought she only said this because she could not think of anything else to say. The concepts of faith and hope that go along with this saying were not sinking in at the time. My experiences over the past two years helped me realize that there are times you need to look for that opened window.
Two years ago a new supervisor was hired where I had worked. I had been with the agency for seventeen years and had a stellar record of employment. The new supervisor did not like me. And within six months she had documented enough information, most of which was false or embellishments, to convince the director that I should be terminated. The director talked with me and gave me a chance to resign instead. I was devastated I had put my heart and energy into my job. I applied to other agencies however no one was hiring. I found a part time job to help with bills and looked at starting a business, but I missed working with people. My husband came home one day with the phone number for a program for homeless people; the program was located in a small town ten miles from where we live. He said he had heard they needed a case manager. I did not know the program existed. I wanted to see what I could find out about the program. I did a reverse telephone search on the phone number for the agency. Through the search I found the address for the office. The program was run by one of the largest non-profit organizations in the country. I new this organization had a great reputation and that it employed many people. I took the address that I found by using the telephone number for the program and went to see what it looked like. To my surprise I found a large new apartment building in a residential area. The non-profit organizations logo was on the office door so I knew I had the right address. I went to a small coffee shop and called the number for the program. A woman answered sounding a bit frantic. I told her why I was calling. She agreed to interview me the next morning.
When I arrived for the interview the director explained that the former case manager had to leave in a hurry due to a family emergency. The director had been too busy to post the position or set up interviews. She had mentioned her need for a case manager in a meeting and that is how my husband heard about it and gave me the number for the program. The director and I talked for two hours and she hired me. I am now working in the most personally satisfying job I have ever had. My opened window was having my husband in the same meeting where the phone number for this program was being given out.
