Irony: life from death

I figured I needed to get my blog on....it's been almost a week, but I've been pretty busy. Or maybe just distracted: I celebrated another anniversary this week...one of life from death, all a beautiful story of irony. More of the "David Story" I'm afraid. I had coffee with, well, sort of a new friend today. We go to church together, our kids play together, and we've talked about grabbing coffee for sometime, so last night at our kid's Thanksgiving program, we scheduled it. And when I made the comment "I don't know how much you know about the last 2 years" I realized, it really is a beautiful story.

July, 2005: meet with the top GOP power houses....I become the unofficial party candidate for mayor of river city in 2007

July, 2006: they ask this question, "what would you do with the current city economic development director?" I say, your idea about a county ED guy doing all the work doesn't make sense for river city. I'd replace him, but make it a full time position with plan director." It becomes part of my platform.

September, 2006: it is suggested by the party chair that if I want the full support of the GOP, I should consider leaving my employer because he's a detriment. In wide-eyed amazement I say, I can't do that, sure I'm not always happy, but that's just wrong to do.

October, 2006: the power houses switch their support, pulling a guy from my team to run against me.

November, 11, 2006: after battling it out with God, I realize what a mess of my witness I had made and discover the "David Tree"

November 24, 2006: I back out of the run

May, 2007: I'm pushed out of politics when I lose my council seat in a GOP primary. I'm told it's because of my employer having too much influence with the then mayor.

November, 2007: the guy who replaced me at the top of the ticket wins mayor by less than honest means, the most illegitimate victory in river city history.

December 2, 2007: my employer begins angling for power within the new administration, by invitation of the GOP power houses. I find out he is being considered for building commissioner and that our office would close.

Jan. 1, 2008: the family waits on pins and needles for the announcement and find out that they didn't choose my employer. I felt safe for 2008.

May, 2008: I find out that my employer is being courted to be the plan director/economic development director for river city (remember where that idea came from?) This time I knew I had to make plans to leave.....the situation was maddening.

July 12, 2008: one last piece of information sent me over the top. I gave my notice 3 days later.

I found it ironic that I was facing losing my job due to the fact that I was loyal enough to not leave my employer, even though the GOP said he was a liability, which ultimately forced me out of running for mayor....and that those guys were the ones asking him to now join their new mayoral team. A few weeks after I left the office I heard that the mayor said the rumors about (my former employer) taking the job were not true. Well, that's not what his city attorney and puppet master were saying-this I know for sure. My guess is that as word got out (maybe leaked intentionally) and a lot of bad feedback surfaced....they decided it wasn't such a good idea after all.

BUT! But....while I absolutely detest what happened and find it all part of a rampant loss of integrity-the result of kinda pathetic power-hungry individuals (geesh, this is river city we're talking about here, not Chicago), there is absolute beauty in that I LEFT MY JOB and I am doing so well. It is exactly what God wanted for me all along. Once I took my last stand against dirty politics and all went south is when the light shone the brightest and God led me into greener pasture.....out of a desert.

So-November 11th rolled around this year and I pulled out my sketch book where I drew the "David Tree" and thought, wow, how blessed I am. Blessed to have been brought to the cross-to be sweetly broken, forever changed. Click on David below if this is all new to you.