trust

a poem that found me in my silent retreat:

"Trust in the Slow Work of God"

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
Yet it is the law of all progress that is made
by passing through some stages of instability
and that may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Do not try to force them on
as though you could be today what time
- that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will -
will make you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new Spirit
gradually forming in you will be.

Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

~Pierre Teihard de Chardin

a picture of perseverance

this last week was hectic at work for a variety of reasons. we didn't host orientation, so that allowed for a different rhythm, but it still filled up with appointments, meetings, and some abnormal out of the office visits. Friday was a mixture of productivity and oh-my-gosh-can-this-day-just-end-ness, when I got the call.

"Robert" got a job. He had just gotten out of the interview and he will start on Monday. ... !! What? That's GREAT Robert! Here's why it's great:

rewind back to March 2009 when I first met Robert. first impressions showed an earnest job seeker who always carried his shoulder bag that contained several folders with copies of his resume, cover letter, and summary of qualifications. the bag also held his spiral notebook where he recorded his job searches: he taped business cards next to dates of when he applied to where, and he wrote notes on when he should follow up. "I always take 2 applications" he told me with a smile. That way, if he messed one up, he had backup, or, if he hadn't heard back, he could re-submit his 2nd application (therefore increasing his name-visibility). I had not met many applicants who were as prepared and noticeably organized as Robert.

Robert's outward appearance was presentable, but not sharp. He wore black jeans with a button-down that, while not always starchy, was never dirty. His demeanor could have been called reserved or timid, but after any sort of conversation with him, he projected an endearing gentleness and optimism that I believed would attract potential employers.

Robert was prepared, presentable, and seemingly had the energy to take on the terrible economy. He also had relevant food service experience and only a minor offense on his criminal history. In his first week or 2 of searching, Robert landed a job at a dinner theater. Unfortunately, he skipped his 2nd day on the job because he suffered from a foot injury and went to the hospital instead. Even with hospital papers, the new employer didn't want the hassle. For 3.5 months, I worked with Robert after his foot fiasco. Finally, due to pressure from the director to "file" those applicants who we'd been keeping for more than 8 weeks, I had to tell Robert that we couldn't work together any longer. Momentum had been lost, things weren't working out, but if he wanted to return to the beginning of our process at any time, we were there.

In November 2009, Robert came back through the orientation process. He was still using his friend's cell phone, (meaning we couldn't have direct access, nor could employers) and while he still looked presentable, he was still not sharp. I worked with Robert for another 3 months, sending him on possibilities, applications, and some interviews. Discouragement was setting in and I was at a loss as to why he wasn't getting hired. In February, I had to file him because he missed his 2nd important interview - this time with a program that would have trained him further and assisted him after the training in job placement - and we have a 2-miss policy.

In March 2010, I saw Robert come through orientation once again. But this time something was different. Over the weeks that followed, I learned that Robert had increased the network of services he was taking advantage of. He had checked into a home that serves as a short-term retreat/respite for those struggling with anxiety. He had case management and was meeting regularly with professionals in the mental health field. He received several sharp-looking button down shirts, a few nice ties, and dark slacks. His glasses were fixed. He was being cared for on a number of levels, and his entire spirit was different - lighter. It seemed that unseen barriers had been removed and he was ready; ready to take on the job market filled with more confidence and a renewed sense of hope. I helped him get a cell phone that he qualifies for; it has limited minutes but was a direct line - no more leaving messages with his friend Bill!

Did he get the job right away? No! I returned to my questions - why hasn't he gotten hired? He had some promising interviews in April, in May, in June, in July...when would it end? How come his persistence, his preparation, his community of support, his diligence - had not paid off? Despite the new factors that contributed to his support, the reality was that Robert was still homeless, and it's hard for me to assess the emotional/spiritual/physical toll that sleeping in a shelter night after night has on a person. He also still had that misdemeanor (= lesser charge than a felony) from 2008, so it was keeping him from positions he was qualified for except for the background check. Do employers care about his arrest story and the situation that surrounded the altercation as he was shopping at the grocery store? Not likely. More likely they "get to the bottom line" - see his charge, assume the worst, and don't give it a second thought.

The beginning of August saw some light at the end of the tunnel. Robert got a call-back (a positive golden ticket) from a bagel place he had applied to in May. They brought him in for an interview and the manager began raving about his resume. "I don't want you just for crew - I want you for shift supervisor!" Wow. That would be great! Full-time, better pay, possibility of benefits. He had to meet with the General Manager. His impression (favorable) was different than hers (as I found after my conversation with her). Still, the GM had no problem with Robert joining as a crew member. At this point, we'd take anything. Part time, full time, whatever can to get him in the door.

Robert also got a call-back from a program that he had been on the waiting list for over a year. It's a temp job lasting 6 months with the potential of a permanent job after that. I advised him that Part-time Permanent was better than even Full-time Temp.

Finally, Robert ended this first week of August with an interview at a place to which I had sent his resume/cover letter. They called him directly and set up the meeting for Friday, and Friday afternoon Robert called me. "The interview was very nice.." I couldn't even take the suspense (at least i told you all before you even started on this epic journey!). Bottom line? HE STARTS MONDAY! It's full time! It's $9/hr! It's a small family-owned ice cream company that is growing and needs someone in the kitchen making the ice cream and cleaning up, and Robert is their man! That bagel place just lost out on someone who could have been their next MVP - but too bad! You snooze you lose! Robert is HIRED. I feel like this has been a year and a half marathon (so if you're like geez this story is long - you have NO idea), but he is FINALLY at a place to begin building stability and a future.

Robert has been a picture of perseverance and persistence. Even though he was the model applicant in many ways, there were still underlying issues that presented immense challenges to his re-entering the job market. You can do all the right things and still face barriers, and there can also be things beneath the surface that will demand attention before the outward stability pieces start falling into place.

There's nothing 'easy' about job placement. Robert's story has been an uncomfortable reminder that I do not have the corner market on knowing what the "secret" is to placing people. It's a group effort, for sure, with so many dependent factors that extend far beyond 1 organization or set of people. I'm so happy for Robert, and I'm excited to see what this new job will do for him in concert with the other support services he has in his life. May he continue to work in dignity for sustenance and hope.