The Promise

As we approach Easter week and after hearing stories of redemption I was reflecting on one of my many career choices that I made that had so much promise.

Several years ago I took this job as a Branch Manager for a local mortgage company that was going public as a community bank.  The lure of a nice financial guarantee, stock options, the ability to open my own office, and hire a staff seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Everything seemed to be pointing to the plan I always wanted…

So I quit my job with a reputable bank where I was flourishing, and started the new career.

The first few weeks I was excited about the new products we had in development, that would allow me to compete with the likes of Countrywide and Wells Fargo.  We had identified office space in Herndon at a realtors office that would bring me new clients, and were going to market our exclusive access to alternative lending plans.  These affordable first-time home buyer loans would allow me to branch out from my normal business to attract an extended pool of prospects who could now buy properties in towns like Reston, McLean, and Vienna.  This was going to be awesome.

The COO of the bank who recruited me personally, absolutely loved me, and helped negotiate my package with the CEO and President, assuring me that I was stepping into a wonderful and credible outfit.  I was so excited about the promise.

But, the promise was not what I thought it was.  The portfolio loans in development never made it to the rate sheet, because they did not exist. The realtor who’s office I worked in wanted kick-backs, higher rent than what we negotiated and agreed to, and was frankly a crazy person who had a problem telling the truth and discerning between what was actually legal, and what was ethical.

Within 2 months, the COO who was my mentor was fired, actually kicked out in an internal power-play and I was directed to go build my business in Fauquier and Prince William County which was never part of the game plan.  It turned out what was supposed to be a promise, was a big fat lie.

Suffice it to say, this pretty much killed my career path and my annual income was cut by over two-thirds.  And after enduring 12 months of disappointment, I left for another, where I literally had to start all over.  The stock I bought and the options I had became worthless.  For months, I had to endure the pain and regret of something I did not see, and could not understand.

But isn’t that the same with all of us when face these unexpected trials?  If you are like me, its confusing, and you ask, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, was it?”  Don’t we all have the tendency to buy into promises that never materialize?

Well, there is a parallel between these promises that we buy into, and the promise we have in the bible.  God assures us,  He has something more for us, even though we can’t see it or feel it at the time.

Jesus talks about “the Kingdom of God” yet what his followers experienced was far from heaven on earth.  That first Easter weekend looked nothing like the promise Jesus spoke about.  But the story wasn’t over…it was only just beginning.

Come on out this Wednesday and hear author Gavin Long discuss how God set his redemptive process in motion. He promised a coming King and a Kingdom that would never end. But that journey rarely looks like we expect to look like…

But in time, it makes a dramatic impact in our lives…

Come find out how…

Invest and Invite

pat

Pat Mancuso
patmancuso@mac.com
(703) 401-8302
FUEL
See our Blog at: https://menoffuel.com/blog

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Our mission is to create a comfortable, relevant and honest environment where men can explore and discuss aspects of life, purpose and faith.

We accomplish our mission by reviewing pertinent issues in men’s lives, examining them through relevant biblical principles, followed by a time of discussion with other men.

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