The End of an Era

It seems like the Lord has me in a season of goodbyes. Yesterday was my last day at Independent Financial. After almost 13 years of working as an Executive Assistant for the bank, I said goodbye to a company I have loved. 

My original name tag!

My first business cards from the bank

I started at the bank in March of 2012. I had previously been working in the insurance industry, and at the time, I had a pretty brutal commute. I was leaving the house at 5am to beat the Dallas traffic and ride into work with a kind co-worker. So Mike and I had been praying for a change. I was applying for jobs closer to home, and he was helping in any way he could, by passing around my resume. He had passed my resume to a ministry friend of his, Eric, who had several connections in the McKinney area {where we were living at the time}.

Mike was working at Starbucks, and he had a lot of regular customers. One in particular was so kind to ask him how she could be praying for him, and he mentioned that we could use prayer for God to provide a new job for me, closer to home. True to her word, she did pray for us, but she also went home to her husband and suggested that I take a look at my resume. Her husband, a little unsure of who she was talking about {just the random wife of Mike the barista at Starbucks haha}, said that he was already setting up an interview with the person whose resume he received from Eric...and as they say, the rest is history  :)

I tell this story, because it is only the very beginning of how the Lord used my job at the bank to show His provision and grace in our lives over the past decade. I have absolutely loved working for Dan and the other executives, and it could not have been a better place to work. I got to watch men with integrity run a company and care for their employees. From a small community bank to going public and trading on NASDAQ and expanding our footprint across Texas and into Colorado. 

When my health forced me to step back in 2015, I was incredibly sad to leave. I loved my job, and it was such a hard decision. But again, the Lord was working and ready to show His grace and kindness to us. While I had every intention of stepping back fully, in the transition, we realized that there were some things that I could continue doing on a part time basis. Because we were in the middle of our embryo adoption process, we knew that I would need the flexibility to be at home, and Dan graciously granted me that opportunity. So in June of 2015, I started my new role, working part time from home. 

That new scenario allowed me the flexibility to manage my health well, and it allowed me the chance to become a mom and stay home with my babies. The Lord knew the exact provision that we needed when we needed it; the set up kept working, so I kept working! 

When we knew we were moving to Virginia in 2020, I figured that would be my time to move on. While I had already been remote for 5 years, I had still only been down the road, so I could pop into the office if needed. And I had occasionally done just that. Moving across the country, however, would make that impossible. So when I went to talk to Dan, I was surprised to learn that he had no problem with letting me stay, if I wanted to continue working. I truly believe the opportunity was open to me because of COVID. Now that everyone was working from home, the idea of me moving to Virginia and working from home wasn't as big of a deal. So we decided to give it a try, to see if it still worked. And it worked just fine for the past 4 years...  :)

With the increased cost of living in Virginia, again, the Lord knew that I would need this job. Really, for almost 13 years, this job has been an incredible provision for our family. The only reason I am not continuing in this role, is because there is no role for me anymore. The bank has merged with SouthState Bank, and there is no Independent Financial anymore. It truly is the end of an era.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad about it all. Not many people get to say that they love where they work. That they love what they do. Or that they truly love the people they work with and for. I recognize the incredible privilege it has been that I have been able to say all of those things for so long. That I have been given the opportunity to have such an incredible work-life balance, raising my family, working around my kids, still providing for my family. It's hard to say goodbye to something that has been so good for so long.

But in a way, it is fitting that I get to say goodbye to my coworkers as the Independent Financial era comes to a close. While some will continue on with the new bank, many will go on to other places, and things just won't be the same as we have all known them. It has truly been a special place to work, and I will forever be grateful for all of the opportunities I was given during my time at the bank. The Lord has been incredibly kind to me, and I have no doubt incredibly kind to my believing boss, and I give God all the glory for the past 12+ years of provision and grace.

Thank you, Lord for Eric passing my resume to Dan. Thank you, Lord for the kind customer asking Mike how she could pray, and for her boldness in recommending me to her husband. Thank you, Lord for Dan. For him taking a chance on my resume, for his kindness and generosity to me over the years. For the man of integrity he is, for how he has cared for all of his employees over the years, always working as unto You. Thank you, Lord for all of the executives at Independent Financial, that I got to witness integrity and hard work that I could respect each and every day. Thank you, Lord for co-workers that I love, some who have become dear friends. Thank you, Lord for a place that I enjoyed working. Thank you, Lord for the provision you have granted our family all these years. For allowing me to build my work around my family and balance all that I had to do with your grace and strength.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.