Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (01/23/20)
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TITLE: The Best Resolution | Previous Challenge Entry
By Barbara Culler
01/29/20 -
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Disagreeing with that belief, I responded with “Sometimes it’s okay to give up.”
She replied: “I’ve had many struggles, some lasting years, but I never quit.”
Perhaps for my friend giving up is not an option, but for me, quitting made all the difference in my life.
…….
My job was a hazard to my health. For seven years, I begged God for a new place of employment, while taking action with resumes and interviews, but to no avail. I believed that my advanced age and arthritic body stranded me in the job that depleted my whole being. I liked the people I worked with, yet the levels of responsibility and expectations were more than humanly possible.
“Lord, the job is destroying me! Please release me from this prison of constant stress and turmoil.”
But God remained silent, seemingly ignoring prayers for help. My perpetually on-call job as a supervisor/administrator in health care was now in its ninth year, with little time off. I felt physically, mentally and spiritually depleted, as though certain fictional characters from the world of wizards had sucked the life out of me.
Sleep deprivation became a constant due to work-related phone calls demanding my immediate response. Oftentimes, it was necessary to appear at a worksite for client care. Though salaried, I frequently worked over 16 hours a day without compensation, toiling in physical labor that was not part of my job description.
Multiple hardships in December led to my breaking point, as I endured endless job tribulations. Most of them involved lack of direct care staff, which forced me to perform the work, although I could not do it all. There was no support from management, for they seemed to disregard my pleas for help. On that pivotal Monday morning, I experienced yet another crisis, further promoting unbearable work conditions; my tears were relentless.
And then I gave up.
With prayerful resolve, I made the decision to walk off the job. Feeling at peace with the plan, I spent the remainder of the day getting things in order for the person who would take my place. In late afternoon, I lugged my weary body into the office where the HR manager and supervisor were working. Inhaling deeply while dropping my work phone, laptop, and keys onto the desk, I declared in one long breath:
“I’m done. I quit. I’m walking off the job because I can’t do this any more.“
Gawking at my uncharacteristic outburst, neither spoke a word.
Before anyone responded, I handed my supervisor the list of on-going job problems. Instead of attempting to dissuade me from quitting, she offered suggestions of what could be done for certain problems. The HR manager remained silent, looking back and forth between the supervisor and myself, not reacting to the bigger problem of losing a long-term worker. After a few moments, an idea of compromise came to me, and I blurted out:
“Allow me take some time off to rest, hopefully returning better able to deal with the job.”
I believed that this was God’s prompting to take the appropriate course of action. Typically impossible to get any time off in December, the two women agreed to parole me for the next 13 days.
Thoroughly enjoying the restful time off, I still loathed the idea of returning work.
“Please God, release me from that hated job!”
Then it occurred to me: I qualified for retirement. Calculating financial aspects and praying for confirmation, the verdict was given. Eleven days after reporting back to work, I submitted notice of resignation.
During my final three weeks, I regularly worked outside the scope of the job, often laboring up to 20-hour days. Knowing that liberation was near emboldened me during the on-going battles, though some days were extremely challenging. I worked long and hard on my last day, then quietly stepped out the door without looking back. I felt too exhausted to celebrate the freedom, but a prayer of gratitude was on my lips.
It took a full year to recover from collateral damage to body, soul and spirit, but now I’m rested, refreshed and renewed. Quitting may not work for my social media friend, but for me, retirement was the best outcome in giving up that insufferable job. And I thank God every single day.
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