I mean, really. Where to start? What a messed up year. I find it hard now, looking back, to contemplate the weirdness of it all. Unprecedented comes to mind. But I also saw how the Lord was protecting me the whole time. I'm convinced that He thwarted many attacks and set-ups that I didn't even know were happening until after the fact. So I'm just going to list some of the highlights.
January 2021. I was the sole admin in a 3-man office for an Indian casino in Oregon. I was in charge of over 200 employees – making sure that all their paychecks were correct and all their leave of absences and FMLA paperwork was completed on time.
My manager, who was my boss at the time, seemed to be constantly looking for instances of me failing and took the floor supervisors side against me on more than one occasion. The night before I was expecting some made up accusation against me to hit the fan, my boss was in a horrible car accident. He was in the hospital with a shattered foot and a broken arm. All of sudden the stress level in our department went way down. I felt really bad about it, but at the same time, the guy was like a nemesis to me. I was also surprised at the timing of the thing. I'm sure it had nothing at all to do with me, but that particular chess piece was off the table for the next 5 months.
February 2021. There was a terrible ice storm and I literally got stuck at work for 3 days straight. The road between my job and home was closed and I probably couldn't have driven on it anyway, since it was all steep mountains and my little Honda Civic Hybrid wouldn't have made it. They put me up at the lodge for two of the nights, but the second night the electricity went out. I had to use my lighter in the pitch black stairwell to get off the 4th floor and make my way out of the building and to my office. The office had no electricity so I set up a command center in the back of one of the kitchens that had a computer. I was able to field all the calls of employees not being able make it in. My Director saw that and was impressed. More on that later.
I also turned 55. I was now officially an honored citizen.
March – May 2021. It starts. Not that there wasn't foreshadowing, what with the required mask wearing and temperature checks as you enter the building. The strong suggestion that you stick a needle in your arm from the outside world had come to my little office. One by one, I watched as all my friends lined up and took the jab. I tried to warn them. I even showed them the documents from the official Pfizer website stating the double-blind randomized placebo experiment that they were all ignorantly participating in. They just shrugged and got a second dose six weeks later, even after some of them had horrible side effects. At least one ended up in the hospital from adverse events and still got the 2nd shot.
Oh – and they made me employee of the month for my work during the ice storm.
June – August 2021. The summer of bribes. Here is a short list of some of the “incentives” government officials gave away to encourage people to go out there and take one for the team. Hamburgers, french fries, donuts, beer. The state of Oregon was one of a handful of states that actually gave away one million dollars. Lucky you. The esteemed establishment where I was employed gave away a Traeger grill, and a plethora of five dollar gas cards. Really? How much gas can you buy with five bucks these days anyway?
September 2021. I knew it was coming, yet it was still a surprise when it happened. All employees at my little casino would now be REQUIRED to get the shot. It was now mandatory and a condition of your employment. Considering how short-handed we were and how hard it was to get employees during regular times, I thought it was a really stupid business move. The Lord let me know that not only was it time to leave that job but to leave the entire state of Oregon as well.
The rest of the year has already been posted on this blog. We are now in a good place in Kansas and I have a new job where I can work from home.
I got a newsletter today from Christine Beadsworth where she has another encouraging word from the Lord. You can listen to it here:
May God bless you going into the new year. It is the Chinese year of the Tiger – but I believe it is God's year of saving grace to all of those who love Him and take a stand for Him. Take care my friends.
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