Seeking a New Job (III)

I sent the application package off to the university in January and then worked to forget about it.  My brother gave me some good advice several years ago that whenever I was applying for a job, not to “move there in your mind.”  And so I tried to manage the amount of time I thought about it, particularly since I didn’t expect to hear anything from them for a few months.

So I was surprised to get word in mid-February that they wanted me to participate in a “telephonic” interview.  I was unfamiliar with this term, but apparently it means the same thing as a telephone interview.  I then spent about ten days preparing for the phone interview, memorizing names, familiarizing myself with significant issues on the campus, and preparing to articulate my own personal and professional goals.  I also spent a great deal of time reading through articles on the peculiarities of job interviews in higher education.

I had not participated in a telephone interview before, and approached this one with some degree of anxiety.  The hiring committee (search committee) was chaired by the program director from another area and six faculty members whom I would be supervising if I applied.  But the committee did an excellent job of putting me at ease and generously asked questions that I had spent a considerable amount of time thinking about.

By the end of the interview, it felt more like a conversation on pedagogy and leadership skills than an interview.  I felt that it went very well.  After several weeks of waiting (about three weeks) I received word that the committee also felt that it went well.  They invited me to come to their campus for a face to face interview in April.  Everything was lining up perfectly.

Seeking a New Job (II)

The academic world is one in which the mill grinds slowly.  University administrators and faculty prize process over results (one of several areas they share with most Baptist churches).  And so the process takes a while.  I first saw the job ad in December and began to compile my application packet.  Standard contents requested by a university search committee are: A letter of application, a resume (called a curriculum vita or cv), four references, and copies of transcripts for each of your degrees.

This can take awhile to assemble.  The most difficult part is crafting a letter of application that  is specific to the institution and demonstrates that you are familiar with their focus and their interests, all the while demonstrating that you, coincidentally, happen to be the best candidate for the position.

So over the holidays (almost exactly a year ago) I worked on my application.  The hardest part of the process was getting two of my references.  I wanted to get one from a colleague and I wanted to get one from my supervisor.  So part of our decision to apply for this position was talking to these two colleagues and letting them know that I was interested.

Telling my supervisor that I was searching for another job seemed to be crossing a Rubicon of sorts.  But, it ended up going better than I thought.  My supervisor told me he thought I was ready for the promotion and that I should definitely apply for another job (thanks?).

Seeking a New Job (I)

We had quite the adventure this last Spring.  Starting in December of 2010 I began a lengthy process of applying for an administrative position at a fantastic Christian college.  Although we've been blessed for the last ten years to be at our current location at a state institution, I have felt an increased calling to begin working in a school that is more closely aligned with my own sense of vocational calling.  I had kept an eye on the job sites where such positions are posted and found one in an ideal setting.

This university  is big enough to have a nice sized student body (and corresponding budget) but still about half the size of my current location.  It would afford a great opportunity to get to know a smaller group of people and be united with them toward a common purpose.  The position was one of greater responsibility as well.  It would stretch me out vocationally and push me to develop some skills that I'm currently under utilizing.  And it is a pretty stable place.  Sadly, not all Christian institutions offer the same sense of stability and fairness that I've grown accustomed to in a state institution.

And so it seemed like a good fit for both sides.  We began the process with high hopes.

The Accident

A few months after Scooter got her license, I had just dropped her little brother off at home when I got the call every parent of a teenager dreads.  "Daddy, I just got in a car accident and the policeman wants you to come here!"  I could hear the tears in her voice as she took gasping breaths between the words.  I asked her if she was injured or if anyone else was hurt.  She replied "No Dad, I'm fine.  I looked down for a second and ran into the guy in front of me.  We're both OK, but could you hurry?"  She was on the street in front of her school and when I arrived I saw her car behind another car with a policeman standing between them.

I saw another father standing next to the driver of the other car.  The driver was a boy who was as skinny as he was scared.  He looked about 12, but I found out later had just turned 16.  When I identified myself to the police officer he thanked me for coming and then motioned for the four of us to gather round. 

He cleared his throat and began speaking what sounded like a speech he has given before.  "OK, here's how this works.  We have here an accident involving two brand new teenage drivers.  If I report this accident, there will be auto insurance rates skyrocketing all over the place.  There were no injuries and there are only a few scratches on both cars.  If both fathers are willing to walk away from this without reporting it to anyone, I'll close my notepad and drive away."  He had already talked to the other father (who nodded his assent) and then looked at me.  I quickly agreed.

"Alright, y'all have a nice day." And he got in his squadcar and drove away.

As a friend told me later, it was a great way to have your first accident.  Thank God for mercy over judgment!!  And Scooter's been accident free ever since.

A New Driver in the Family

Shockingly, Scooter has begun to drive a car.  I’m not sure that has completely sunk in.  She turned 15 last year and took driver’s education last in fall of 2010.  Scooter earned her permit in January and was required to drive for 50 hours under our supervision.  She counted the days until her birthday when she would turn 16 and be eligible to take her driving exam.  On that day we drove up to the DMV to take her exam…but a problem quickly arose.
Scooter’s car was graciously given to us by my brother and sister-in-law.  But they live out of state so I had to get new plates and registration.  I had done that, but left the out of state inspection sticker (I mean, it wasn’t due for another three months and why spend $10 if you don’t have to?) When we arrived for the exam early in the afternoon, we were discouraged to find that we couldn’t take the exam without getting an in state inspection.

We got back to the DMV to take the exam around 4:15 only to find out that they ran their last exam at 4:00.  As the gentleman told us we were too late, I saw Scooter begin to tear up.  I asked him if there was anything we could do and explained that we had been by earlier in the day.  It was her birthday after all.  He paused for a moment, looked back at the clock, looked at my weeping daughter, and then  said that he would see what he could do.  (So note the other important lesson for Scooter that day: A woman’s tears are a powerful force.  I have encouraged her to use them only for good).

He returned a few minutes later and told us that he had arranged for her to take her exam.  She took her driving exam and made an exceptional score, well above what was required for passing.  She has the maturity, the skills and now the license.  Everything looked fantastic.

So it came as some surprise two months later when she had an accident.

A Good Day, But A Hard Day

My time at Pecan Grove ended well.  It was a long interim, lasting almost 20 months, but quite gratifying.  The church called a new pastor and we left back in January.  The hardest part in the entire interim was saying good bye.  I shared with them at our last service together, that I would not return to fill the pulpit or speak with individual church members for about a year.  I wanted them to have a good chance to bond with their new pastor.  I also shared with them that I wouldn’t be coming back to perform any funerals or weddings.  Mrs. Clark, an octogenarian that had served well on the Transition Team said “You mean if I die in the next year you wouldn’t do my funeral?”  I had to tell her no, I would not.  On our final Sunday, they thanked me and had a farewell reception.   It was a good day, but a hard day. 

A few weeks before we left, I was at a retreat with several other Intentional Interim ministers and got to know one gentleman who has served eight churches as an intentional interim pastor.  I mentioned to him that our time of service at Pecan Grove Baptist was nearing an end and decided to call upon his experience leaving these churches.  I asked him about strategies for leaving a church cleanly while minimizing the pain of saying good-bye (both to me and to them).  He paused just a second and smiled.  “O, you can’t minimize the pain.  It ALWAYS hurts when you leave” he gently said.

And he was right.  I shared with the church in my final message that my time of service with them had been THE most rewarding service of ministry in my entire life.  And I meant it.  They had called a wonderful pastor and have a very bright future.  And after the thank you notes and gift cards, they presented me with their favorite gift of a lasting memory:

A Pecan tree.

Living with Diabetes

Skeeter now is indistinguishable from her other 13 year old peers.  Only a few differences mark her from her friends.  She can’t stay up as late at sleepovers as she would like, because she has to get up no later than 9:00 to check her blood sugar level.  She also has to do a finger stick during half-time of her soccer games.

She can’t pig out on pizza and has to stay away from non-diet soft drinks (I’m not sure either of those things are bad).

She has to be a little more deliberate with her meal choices and MUST eat a snack at appropriate times during the day.

Sometimes we get on to her and she blames "The Diabetes" (for inappropriate things like "Mom, my room is a mess because I have diabetes", etc).  This is mostly done in jest.

But she’s adjusted far better than her mom and I ever dreamed she would.

Green as a Cabbage Patch!

I came across a great article by Dr. Bill Leonard from Wake Forest who wrote about his first pastorate in a rural New England church.  It reminded me a lot of Lone Oak Baptist.  Enjoy!

In the Hospital

What followed after the diagnosis was a three day hospital stay. When most people are diagnosed with diabetes, they are in pretty tough shape.   Since the early symptoms of high blood glucose levels are similar to the flu, most don't go to the doctor until they have run very high glucose levels for several days.   They are often very sick by this time.  Since Kadie and Skeeter went to the doctor’s office so quickly, Skeeter was in comparatively  good shape.

During the three days in the hospital, Kadie and I went through a detailed educational experience. We spent our time with nurses, pediatric endocrinologists, and registered dietitians.  We learned about the various kinds of insulin, the safe places for injections, carbohydrates, and the "honeymoon period" (during which the pancreas continues to produce some small degree of insulin) . We received a lot of reading material and free samples of syringes, glucose monitors and strips.

During this time in the hospital we also got a sense of what Skeeter is made of. The first day she was in the hospital, they gave her insulin through the intravenous drip. But the second day they showed her how to give herself injections. The nurse began by patiently giving step by step instructions.   She was going to explain each step one at a time.  She showed us how to prepare the syringe, and then wiped her leg with the alcohol wipe.  But as the nurse prepared to giver Skeeter her next instruction, Skeeter plunged the syringe into her thigh without a moment’s hesitation.   (While I cringed).

And she's done it three times a day ever since.

Receiving the News

It had been a hectic day.  Kadie had taken Squealer to the doctors for his normal checkup earlier that morning, but the doc’s office was swamped with walk-ins.  So she and Squealer had to wait for several hours to be seen.  After his appointment, Kadie dropped him off at school and got a call that Skeeter was in the nurse’s office at her school and wasn’t feeling well at all.

Kadie picked her up and was taking her home when Skeeter said that for the last several days she had experienced a burning when she urinated.  As a nurse, as well as a parental veteran of two daughters, Kadie immediately diagnosed a urinary tract infection.  Since she didn’t want to spend several more hours in the doctor’s waiting room, she called the office, shared Skeeter’s symptoms, and asked for them to phone in a prescription to the pharmacist.

The doctor’s nurse responded that in these circumstances the Dr. prefers to see the kids in person before calling in a prescription.  So grumbling the lengthy drive back to the doctor’s office, Kadie reluctantly took Skeeter to see him.

After another lengthy wait in his office, they checked Skeeter’s vitals and took a urine sample as a routine part of her visit.  A few minutes later her doctor came returned with a somber expression.  In a voice that Kadie said she will never forget he said “Skeeter’s Glucose levels are way too high.  I’m afraid that she has diabetes. You need to immediately take her to the emergency room at the regional hospital.” 

In a state of shock, Kadie began crying as she asked: “Can we go home and pack some clothes?”

The doctor replied “No, this situation is very serious.  You need to go straight there.”

What I Learned

I knew very little about diabetes. I knew that there are three different kinds, Type 1 (formerly Juvenile Diabetes), Type 2 (formerly Adult Onset Diabetes), and Gestational. I also knew that some kinds of diabetes are insulin dependent, and some kinds can be regulated with diet and exercise.

But recently I’ve learned a few things about Type 1 diabetes. It affects .04% of the population, or about 700,000 people in the US. I’ve learned that it is an auto-immune disease in which the body’s protective immune system is turned inward and begins to attack the pancreas, rendering it incapable of producing insulin. No one knows why the auto-immune system does this.

I learned that insulin is necessary for allowing the cells of the body to convert glucose into energy. Glucose is the food of the cells and that leads to a great irony: without insulin, glucose levels in the body simply build, and build, and build while the cells starve--surrounded by food! These increased glucose levels eventually harm the eyes, the nerves in the extremities, and the renal system. Left untreated, diabetes can result in blindness, loss of limbs, and kidney failure. Until insulin was isolated and purified in the early 20^th century, a diagnosis of diabetes was a death sentence: a 100% mortality rate.

I’ve learned that Type-1 diabetics are insulin dependent for the rest of their lives. They do not outgrow it. They do not control it by exercise or by eating a particular diet. If they do not take insulin daily, they will die.

A few months ago , I learned something else about Type-1 diabetes.

I learned that my 12 year old daughter Skeeter has it.