I Did the Right Thing....Didn't I?

So, I just turned down a job offer. It was a pretty decent offer as well, much like the job I just left. My Interviewer was excited for me to begin my training October 20th. Starting pay was good, benefits awesome, sounded like just what I needed to get back into the working world.

We discussed what my schedules, salary and benefits would be. And then she asked a fateful question:

"Because we are an international company and strive to resolve customer issues in one call, you will be required to sometimes view and assist customers in things mostly considered of a Sexually offensive nature and adult content, is this something you feel you can do?"



I sat there stunned and stammering. I tried to say yes, but couldnt. Instead I got nauseated, and started sweating and trembling. I heard myself saying :



"I would have a problem with that"



She asked if it were something I felt I could ease into and eventually overcome because I would be a required to accomodate the customer.

I told her

"no, it was something I wouldn't do."



We sat there in silents. She was very kind and understood my position. She was disappointed at my not being able to have the position. I was just shocked, I think. She'll keep my resume (Of course) on file in the event that something else might come along. Thus ended my Interview.



A couple of things are going on inside of me right now:



ANXIOUS!!! Employment is essential to life. I need job, benefits and such to maintain the quality of life I feel I deserve. Although I've been taking it easy for the summer, I'm ready to kick back in and earn my keep again. I need and want a job.



SHOCK!!! Although we know the kind of world and the evils in it, I'm shocked it's actually come into the work place so abruptly and welcomed.



SADNESS!!! That people really live their lives in away that welcome violence, porn, profanity and even mocking the sacredness ofdiety as part of their regular entertainment.



SICK!!! I got sick to my stomach and trembling in those few moments of understand the question. It made me ill for a reason.



WEAK!!! Shouldn't I be stronger than this? Shouldn't I be able to breeze right through profanity, pornography and other such things w/o being offensive? Doesn't the Lord protect and shield his children from being affected by these such things if they're praying, reading their scriptures and doing things trying to stay close to him? This stuff shouldn't bother me at all right? After all not every customer call would be of that nature, maybe just 2 or 3 a week, or month or maybe just 1 a year... It's good money I should be able to get over it...*sigh*



Anger!!! Just as The Lord is aware of our strenghts and weaknesses, so is Lucifer (PUNK!) He uses low blows, insults, criticism (I've gotten some of that already by not accepting) and fear to break us down, attack our confidence and use justification to convince us to compromise our standards.



After the interview I sat in Silence for a few minutes. I like sitting in silence I do it quite a bit. I wanted to put a name to all the emotions popping off inside of me and the above is what I've come up with. I also wanted to get some resolve on what I'd just done and determine if I was too hasty in my decision. I was told to contact them if my standings change, they'd love to have me.



**SIGH***

I was upset to the point of tears. Im upset that circumstances guided me to resign from my previous job. I'm upset that as a result of someone elses actions I suffered the consequences that put me, my mind and emotions in a sensitive state that normally wouldn't have been.

I'm upset at how it effected me then, now and possibly in the long term.



And now that I've cried, I'm no longer upset.



Most welcomed to my thoughts came the following phrases:



"We will stand for truth and righteousness at all times, in all things and all places...."



"...If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."



Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.



Doctrine and Covenant's 33:2 For verily, verily I say unto you that ye are called to lift up your voices as with the sound of a trump, to declare my gospel unto a crooked and perverse generation.



I actually just turned on the TV and happened upon the rebroadcast of the General Relief Society Conference and Elder UchtDorf is speaking. Although he is speaking of being creators with the creator the phrase he just spoke that speaks out to me most is:



"Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside."





*SIGH* (that was a sigh of relief)

I have given myself permission to feel triumphant about my decision. I feel there is PLENTY employment out there that doesn't require me to subject myself to these kinds of things. Im sure there are plenty of employee's who are ready and willing to take that position. I just happen to be one who isn't.

And now that I think about it.... did I really even contemplate selling my standards and risk putting my spirit and soul at dis-ease by being subjected to images and lanuage I've spent years staying away from for a mere hourly wage with excellent benefits?



Being Christians (and yes, people Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ARE christians), when we take upon the name of Jesus Christ we have taken the guess work out of alot of decisions the rest of the world struggles with. Although from time to time we may falter, and backslide and make mistakes, we have the free agency to continue to live in those mistakes, or to get back up and stand for truth and righteousness and keep on trying to do what is right.

(As Christians we dont covenant to not make mistakes, as long as we are alive we will make mistakes. But we convenant to correct them when we do make them, and to move forward in righteousness as best we can with the intent to refrain from continuously making the same mistakes.)



Being Christian this decision, like many others, was made when I was baptized. It's made when I take the sacrament each week to "take upon the name of thy son Jesus Christ.... and always remember him."



I'm certainly not perfect in obeying everything in accordance to all the Lords commandments, the main 10 in Exodus, and the many others throughout the scriptures.

I'm CONFIDENT I made the right choice for me. I'm CONFIDENT the job I will really love and excel in is waiting for me. I'm confident I will be blessed for not selling my "birth right" for a mess of pottage... at least this time (wink.) I have found great strength in that knowledge and I will keep on keepin on.