Curby Alexander,
Assistant Professor,
College of Education,
Texas Christian University
[Sept. 17, 2012]
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” ~Matthew 6:25
When I announced I was leaving my tenure-track position, someone told me he hoped I was not committing career suicide. Secretly, I agreed with him, and over the next two years I would have to make some of the hardest decisions of my life, putting my faith to the test.
My wife and I made the decision early in our marriage that our priorities were to be God, family, and then career. As we observed the demands of an academic career on the lives of the faculty in our respective doctoral programs, we knew this would be a challenge. Still, we were committed to aligning our priorities with what we believed was God’s best for us.
Commuting
The next two years were a whirlwind of career possibilities. I had more opportunities than I could logistically handle. I was offered a position at a private school as a Technology Integration Specialist, but it required a one-and-a-half hour commute each way. Then came the offer for director of all technology-related faculty development at a large community college, but it required many additional hours in the evenings and weekends. I even interviewed for a tenure-track position in the department where I was currently working, but it also involved a long commute.
Each possibility came down to one of three scenarios: live close to my wife’s university and commute a long distance; live close to my workplace and my wife commute; or live halfway between, both commute and leave our children stranded somewhere in the middle for most of the day. It seemed as if each great offer was in direct opposition to that commitment my wife and I made at the onset of this journey.
The Pay Off
After two years of applying, interviewing, praying and turning down job offers, I got a most unexpected call to interview for a faculty position at the university where my wife worked. Our boys’ new school was across the street from the university, which would keep our family close together during the day. The interview came and went, and one week later I was formally offered the position, which I promptly accepted. For the first time, I was able to see why I had to make all of those hard decisions.
Throughout this process, I have had a consistent salary and stayed quite busy. I’ve been involved in great projects and met amazing people. What these two years forced me to do, however, was stick to my guns. I knew exactly what I was and was not willing to give up, which meant I had to say “No” to some great opportunities. Rather than being about a job, this process was about choosing to honor the commitment my wife and I made to God about our family.
I always tell my students learning takes place in the process, not in the results. The results are the goal, but the process is what changes us, and this process has taught me so much: Don’t compromise things that matter most because God cares more about your heart than your title or status. Be patient. Stay faithful.
(c) 2012 Curby Alexander
(c) istockphoto