By David North
U.S.A
http://www.worldstrider.blogspot.com/
Background
The Census Job
Ten years ago I had applied for a census job and had gotten 100% on the entrance test plus a five point bonus for being a military veteran. Hiring was and is based on the test score but people began working and I had not been called at all--this went on for close to three weeks from the time I should have been called. So I was outside my home praying and asked the Lord why I had not been called. He responded, "Kindling sticks". I asked him what he meant and he replied, "Another twig for your fire. You have used all you have to maintain your household but haven't invested one-cent in the things I have showed you.". I felt before that the Lord had showed me something ministry related tthat i was to do but I had no financial means to do it. His point was not that I "hadn't done it anyway" but that I hadn't done anything. So I said I would take a portion of what I next make and even if it takes away from my own house will put it towards what you want--even if it isn't enough. My wife came to the door of the house about five-sconds later and said, "The census is on the phone"...and then I was hired.
I was placed in charge of the crew for the entire county where I lived and was making $3 an hour more than other employees and also had more hours each week (over forty). When I arrived for training, I was asked by the instructor--who was also to be my boss, what I was doing in her class. I explained I had been hired by the regional office as crew leader and she answerd that she already had hired a crew leader and not to get comfortable because i wasn't going to have the job long. When she called to replace me they refused and ordered her to give me the job. She was furious and came back and told me that as far as she was concerened I was not the "real" crew leader and so would have to share authority with the young lady she had previously hired and to have the person she had chosen already as her assistant to be mine as well.
The other leader did ot have the recoginition of the regional office as a "co-leader" but I was told by the supervisor I had that she was whether she had the title or not. Shortly after we began work, I discovered that the supervisor had told this girl to simply bide her time and the first time I made a mistake she would have me fired. A week later, the two "assistants" attempted to do part of my job and to take credit for it at my expense. Instead, they did the job horribly wrong. To cover themselves, they agreed to lie and say I had done the work and made the mistakes. I was called in to be fired but just before I arrived, two of my crew members who respected me and had overheard the plot went in and told my supervisor the whole accusation was a lie and had been premeditated by the others. The supervisor would not have cared but the fact that two employes knew what happened and might tell someone else made her cover her back and take disciplinary action against the other two assitants instead of me. She told me just before she did that she had indeed called me into fire me and that as far as she was still concerned that I should never have been there and didn't deserve the job. However, the action of the other two had made her look bad so she had to remove them and I was allowed to actually be in charge for the first time. I finished my work over the next few weeks but she treated me with thinly veiled contempt most of the time. I hated going in every day but was determined to not let someone lose a job that I merited and had done nothing that should have caused me to lose it.
After the work was over, I asked the Lord why it had been so unpleasant--not just in the natural but spiritually. It was oppression in the spirit as well as mentally.
DREAM: U.S. COMMANDO
I had a dream that night and I saw a squad of uniformed Russian commandos getting their weapons and equipment ready for a raid. They were going to parachute into the United States and attack the government and their commanding officer was briefing them on what they were to do. At that point Jesus walked in and said, "I have a new addition to your team.". He then stepped to the side and I was standing behind him dresssed as a U.S. commando. He placed a badge on a chain about my neck (the census issues those to workers too). The Russians were in shock and dumbfounded but I saw that no one in the room had the nerve to confront Jesus and they swallowed hard and just complied.
When I awoke and asked the Lord what the dream was about he answerd that their was "already a great evil at work in your government" but because of my prayer a place had been made for me in the midst of the enemy's camp. I wouldn't have had any idea what to make of this but as it happened, about a year before, I had a dream where I saw my census supervisor (I had never met her). There was a great economic depression in the United States and a lot of demonic activity. I had gone looking for work and when none was available had walked down a road and saw a mansion surrounded by a high hedge. I thought maybe I could do some small work there to bring back food for my family and went about the hedge looking for a gate. There was a very narrow one that was only found when I stepped into the hedge. I went up steps in the back of the hoiuse and knocked on the door. Two women answered and seemed shocked I was there. They didn't know what to do with me and said they would have to ask "mother". I was allowed to come in and a bit later and older women (my census supervisor in appearance) came in and was furious that "a man" was in her house. She angrily demanded of the women that they explain whay I was allowed in and they stammered that I had come in "by the back gate". "Mother" angrily answered, "There is no back gate!" and the women responded, "We know but he found one anyway.". She seemed uncertain what to do with me. I was amazed after seeing her anger that she hadn't just ordered me from the house but she seemed reluctant for me to know that was what she wanted to do. She was then very polite and offered me tea and then suddenly grabbed my chin in her hand, thrust her face nose-to-nose with mine and stared intensly into my eyes. She then said, "It's been less than a year for you--you aren't done yet.". She said she would give me some small jobs and to come back the next day. I left and as I went down the road thought, "What a wicked house.". It had been almost a year to the day in my real life that the Lord had told me to quit my previous job and I had not found regular work up to that time.
So I was called last year again to work and excelled and had real favor with everyone. The job was wonderful and I did excedingly well and additionally got along very well with all the supervisors there. Then the job ended and when I was supposed to be called back for additional work, I was "missed" on two occasions. I called a friend still working there a few months later and asked if she would inquire as to my status and she did one better and told the regional manager that I had not been called back for work on the two occasions when I should have been--I was hired the next day. A few days later, that same regional supervisor asked me to change work to a crew leader again and waived the mileage restriction so I could do it. That has since led me to two more jobs and I am still working after what was initially supposed to be only about a week of work (I've been two months now).
I have no idea what all of this means but this time I had the sense that my "addition to the team" still stood from ten years back so I stood on that. Two times I was nearly dropped through an administrative crack and each time got a better job as a result.
Not a real point to telling this but just, "Interesting".
Peace,
David
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