Читать книгу How I Triumphed Over Multiple Traumas - Ernest Nullmeyer - Страница 13

CHAPTER 3

Loss of Employment Again

When my employment at Keswick Conference was terminated, I needed to pray for God’s guidance as to my next step. In my youth I learned a biblical proverb that says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6, NKJV). The apostle James writes, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). I have banked on those promises throughout my life, and once again I needed to put the principle into practice. As I walked the streets of Barrie and along the shoreline of beautiful Kempenfelt Bay (walking is good for us physically and therapeutic emotionally), pondering what my next step (pardon the pun) should be, I felt only a sense of peace, knowing that God was in control and something would turn up in His time. It was a difficult time of uncertainty for Marion—as her health was continuing to decline—and for our boys, who were still in school.

LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL

One evening while Marion and I were reading and the boys were out and about, the phone rang. It was Vic Jackson, a member of my former parish of Emmanuel Baptist. Vic was brought up in a little village outside of Barrie and attended a one-room schoolhouse. Unfortunately, he—like the NHL (National Hockey League) coach Jacques Demers and many Canadians—had slipped through the school system and graduated illiterate. However, like Demers, who later became a Canadian senator, Vic didn’t allow this problem to control his life. When he graduated from grade 8 at age 15, he got a job working with a carpenter who took a keen interest in him and noticed that he was a natural when it came to handling tools and operating machines. After a number of years apprenticing, Vic decided it was time to launch out on his own, and he established the Vic Jackson Renovation Company. The business was very successful, and he learned how to work around his illiteracy problem, as so many people with the same challenge do.

On the phone, Vic expressed his regrets that I had been let go at Keswick and wondered if I would like to do some work for him. In my inimitable manner, I responded, “Sure; what do you have in mind?”

“Well,” he said, rather hesitatingly, “it’s digging postholes and installing a fence around the property of…” and he mentioned the man’s name. This man was a very successful and wealthy businessman. He and his wife lived in a multi-million dollar mansion on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. They were not members of my parish but would often attend our Sunday evening services, along with many people from other churches that had only morning services. When I met Vic at the job site, of course the owners were rather shocked to see the Rev. Ernest Nullmeyer in work clothes. Vic showed me what to do, and I started in to dig the postholes and erect this mammoth fence. It took me four weeks, and at the end the owners thanked me for doing such a great job. Little did I (or the owners) know that sometime in the future, I would be back at their home decorating it, having established Nullmeyer Decorating. It’s a good lesson for my beloved grandchildren and all youth to remember: Always do your best, because you never know what it will lead to.

NOW WHAT?

The question of course on my mind—and on the minds of my beloved family—was “What will I do next to keep money coming into our home?” There was no need to worry, as Vic (and God) had it all planned out. Vic thanked me for the excellent job I had done erecting the fence and then said he would be in touch with me if something turned up. I didn’t have to wait long!

Vic had been awarded the contract to install all the door and window hardware in Barrie’s new Riverwood subdivision. One day the superintendent asked him if he knew someone who would do an excellent job on paint touch-ups in the homes that had recently had their one-year inspections. The person for the job had to be very trustworthy, as most of the owners would be out to work. Vic said, “I know the very man for the job; he is as honest a man as you could ever meet.” Vic contacted me to see if I was interested in this six-week contract.

My answer? “Yes, indeed!” I went to meet the superintendent, and he hired me within minutes. The following Monday I commenced this job, which was so right for me as it was relaxing and therapeutic, and it provided six weeks of income. And amazingly it was a harbinger of what would eventually become my new vocation—painting and decorating.

One of the homes was owned by a young medical doctor who had recently moved to Barrie to set up her family practice. When I had finished the job, she thanked me for my excellent work. Once again, little did I know that someday in the future that excellent work would lead to a large contract for redecorating her whole house from a contractor’s beige to a beautiful colour scheme that I would draw up for her. Yes, we never know when we are planting a seed that will take root and bloom in the future.

WHAT’S NEXT?

So with that job completed, what would be next? Another phone call from Vic, asking me if I would be interested in working with him on a big renovation job. He said, “Before you answer, let me describe the job.” It was going to start out as a very dirty job, as all the plaster and lath had to be removed from the ceilings and walls and then replaced with drywall.

He continued, “You will have to wear old clothes, and we will be wearing masks.” Well, the mask aspect wouldn’t be new to me, as I had donned masks many times when making pastoral calls on parishioners in hospital isolation wards. Oh, the ironies of life, going from one mask to another!

He paused then for my answer, and as always I said, “Sure, I’ll work with you on that job.” He would meet me at the house on Monday morning and introduce me to the owners, who would then be on their way to their offices of a company they owned and operated. I would eventually work for that company. Really? Yes, really! That’s an amazing and wonderful part of the story that will come to light shortly.

On Monday morning, I was up bright and early (as I am always am), ate breakfast with Marion and the boys, packed a lunch and went off to work, no doubt singing praises to God for opening up this new employment opportunity. And sing all day long I did, even right through the mask shielding my lungs from the fine plaster dust. Eventually we got all of the plaster and lath removed and installed the drywall, and the ceilings and walls were now ready for painting.

ALWAYS DOING OUR BEST

As Vic had warned me, it was indeed a dirty job, but one that paid off. Indeed, we never know how one job well done will lead to something even better. Let me insert here a wonderful proof of that statement. It comes from the Bible story of Abraham sending his chief servant out, along with ten of his camels and “all kinds of good things,” to find a wife among his own people for his son Isaac (Genesis 24). I have taken the liberty to give you the Ernie Nullmeyer translation of the story, just as I would tell it—extemporaneously—if I were relating it in the pulpit.

THE JOB THAT PAID OFF HANDSOMELY

The servant and his entourage of camels made their way to a little town where Abraham’s brother Nahor lived. On arrival in the town, the servant had the camels kneel down near the town well. He then prayed, “O Lord, God of my master, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Today at sunset, when the town’s daughters come out to the well to draw water, direct me to the one whom I should take back to my master for his son Isaac. I will know that one because when I ask her for a drink, she will give me one and then will offer to give water to all the camels as well.”

Before he had finished praying (God often answers our prayers even before we complete them), Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was stunningly beautiful and a virgin. While she was filling her jar with water, the servant ran to meet her and said, “Could you please give me a drink of water from your jar?” She quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

When he was finished drinking, Rebekah made an astonishing offer: “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they’re all filled up.” (Watering camels is no small task, as a camel’s holding tank is about 114 litres, or 30 gallons, and it takes about 13 minutes to get the task done. That’s just one camel; Rebekah had ten to fill up. But her faithfulness in carrying out that task was wonderfully rewarded!) After spending the night in the home of Rebekah, the servant returned home with her and his entourage, praising God that he had been led to the right person to be Isaac’s wife.

Yes, a job well done will always reap rewards eventually. The dirty job I had accepted and worked at with all my might was to lead to an office job beyond my fondest imagination. One day, while we were having a snack break, the owner of the house returned from his office to see how we were getting along. After a few minutes, he drew me aside and asked me if we could have coffee together sometime. I had no idea why he was inviting me to have coffee with him, but I told him I would be happy to do that. He related the time and place we would meet. When he left, I asked Vic why this gentleman would want to have coffee with me. With a little grin on his face he said, “I think you’ll be glad you met with him, but that’s all I can share with you right now.” Vic was in on the plan. And of course God was at work in my life, as He always has been. The fulfillment of the promise of Psalm 23:1 was at hand: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (NKJV).

THE MEETING

We met and ordered and sipped coffee, and his first sentence was “Well, Ernie, you must be wondering why I wanted to get together with you.”

I responded, “For sure! And so are my wife and sons.”

“Well,” he continued, “Vic has shared with me a little about your past, and as I have watched you work and listened to you express yourself, the idea came to me that you just might fit into a new position I am opening up in my company.” He then elucidated what the company was all about and what the job description would look like.

The more he talked, the more I was getting a warm feeling that this was a position I would indeed fit into and love. I would become the general manager of the aluminum company. When he said what the starting salary would be, plus the provision of a new car, I said under my breath, “Thank You, Lord. This sounds just like what I need in my life right now.” After I recovered from being a little in shock, I responded with “I would love to accept your offer.” We shook hands on the deal (no signing of any document) and agreed that I would commence my new job the following Monday.

Vic’s response? Sheer delight! Marion’s and the boys’ response? Absolute delight! Remember one of my mom’s favourite Bible verses? “God will provide” (Genesis 22:8, NKJV). And for four years and three months I enjoyed every aspect of the job, even getting into sales, which, because I was well-known in the Barrie area, became a little gold mine for me—and my family.

When employees of the company found out that I was an ordained minister, “Pastor Ernie” became my new appellation. This led to many interesting discussions and even counselling sessions, which I did freely and free of charge. One of the salesmen was having a rough time in his marriage, and I was able to help him work through it. Yes, once a pastor, always a pastor! One of the spin-off benefits of my job was that I could provide part-time work for my sons after school, Saturdays, and summers.

BAD NEWS!

The company continued to expand, but it began to get into deep financial cash flow problems, through purchasing new trucks as well as erecting a new headquarters. As a result, the bank became concerned and declared the company bankrupt. As I was one of the highest-paid employees, I was first to receive my termination letter. However, I didn’t panic, as I knew that the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23:1 would provide for me and my family in another way. It was of course a rather troubling time for Carolyn, who had now become my wife and the boys’ stepmother. Once again I was without employment and income. So…what do I do now? Back to prayer: “Lord, where do I go from here?” And back to leaning on my mom’s favourite Bible verse: “God will provide” (Genesis 22:8, NKJV).

GOOD NEWS!

And here is where the sun began to shine again (as it always does!) as you will read in the following pages.

BANKRUPTICIES and TERMINATIONS BEGONE!

The evening after my termination from the aluminum company, I gathered Carolyn and the boys around our kitchen table and told them the bad news. There was no sense of panic expressed, but we all agreed that for the time being we would have to tighten our belts, and this included cancelling a trip to Cuba that Carolyn and I had planned for our first wedding anniversary. We all held hands while I prayed for God’s guidance and peace, and we left the table knowing that “this too will pass” (one of Carolyn’s favourite sayings when something went wrong).

A VISION IN THE NIGHT

That night I had difficulty sleeping, which is unusual for me, whatever the circumstances of life might be. It wasn’t a feeling of anxiety that was keeping me awake and alert; it was a feeling of excitement and anticipation.

There’s an old facetious saying, “When all else fails, pray.” That has never been the modus operandi of my life, as I resort to prayer immediately when something goes awry. After all, no matter how distressing or vexing the matter might be, God has the solution all worked out. All we have to do is “wait on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14, NKJV)—which is not always easy—and He will reveal His will to us.

The same thoughts came bouncing around in my mind: Ernest, maybe it’s time to launch your own business, and then you will never get terminated, and you’ll be your own boss. The thought came back to me that I had heard many years before: If someone turns a hobby into a business they will have life made. I went over the things that I was proficient at and enjoyed, and I kept coming back to one: decorating. Yes, that’s it; I will establish my own decorating business! I felt like waking up Carolyn to tell her my plans for my new job, but as she always (unlike me) had difficulty getting back to sleep, I would wait until the morning. Soon I was going through my Bible verse and hymn routine, and I fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

MORNING FOLLOW-UP

When I awoke early the next morning (I’m a morning person), I could hardly wait until Carolyn awoke to reveal my revelation. And when she did wake up and I said that I had something really exciting to share with her, she responded with “Could we just wait until after breakfast?” So we did—as I had no choice.

I began to tell her about the new venture I believed God was leading me into. Her first reaction was her usual one: “Uh, huh.” Then her keen mind went into motion. First question—and an insightful one: “What would you do for a vehicle?” And then, “What would you do about equipment?” And “How are you going to get customers?” And “What would you call it?”

Well, I had those all worked out in my mind, and told her.

For a vehicle I would start out just using my little Mazda coupe. As to how I would cram all the supplies and equipment into that little space—I would just make it work!

For equipment and supplies, I would simply go to the appropriate stores and purchase them.

To get customers, I would place an ad in the local newspaper. And here is where the name of the company becomes relevant. As I was well-known in the area (having pastored Emmanuel Baptist Church for nine years, during which time I produced two weekly Christian radio broadcasts), I would call it Nullmeyer Decorating. I drew up an ad and took it to the Barrie Examiner, and my new business was launched.

FIRST CONTRACT

Within two days I had a call from a lady who operated a hair salon in downtown Barrie. She had for years coiffed Carolyn’s hair, as well as her mom’s and two sisters’. She said she would like her big old house completely redecorated. Wow! Sounded like an amazing first contract. As Carolyn had not yet gotten back into teaching, she volunteered to help me. If she had known what stage one was, she may not have volunteered; but on the other hand, being a farm girl she was no stranger to hard and not-so-pleasant jobs.

OFF AND RUNNING

We loaded up my little Mazda and were off to our first contract. When we arrived, Hyacinth was a little shocked to see Carolyn Cameron (as she had known her) at her door and even more shocked that the man she had talked to on the phone was really the Reverend Ernest Nullmeyer, whom she had heard preach every Sunday evening and Wednesday morning on the local radio station.

After she got over her shock, she walked us through the century-old house to show us what she wanted done. She didn’t even ask for a quote, as she had decided that she wanted my company (my wife and me at that time) to do the job. It was a big contract and would even require me to hire my first employees. Yes, things were taking off fast, even faster than I could have envisioned—even being the visionary I am!

The wallpaper looked like it came from the first batch ever printed. Seniors will remember those old embossed wallpapers. So we started in, removing wallpaper, and at bedtime could feel every muscle in our bodies. It was arduous physical work, and I understood why Carolyn was only able to take a few days of it, but I will say that, just like a girl brought up on the farm who knew how to do chores, she gave it her very best.

CAROLYN’S NEW POSITION

I still had an important position in my company for Carolyn, and that was answering the phone. Often when I was out doing estimates the client would ask, “Who is that lady who answers your phone with that warm, friendly voice?” I was always proud to respond, “That’s my wife.”

I have always been amazed that some businesses, organizations and professional offices hire people to answer their phones who do not have a warm, friendly voice. They answer as if you are interrupting them from doing something important. That’s not the tone of voice they heard when they phoned Nullmeyer Decorating.

NEWSPAPER AD PAY-OFF

Soon—as a result of my little ad in the local paper—the phone calls for estimates began to pour in. The timing for the launch of my new business was perfect, as people were beginning to think of spring cleaning and, of course, along with that, spring decorating. Yes, the old saying is true: “Timing is everything!” Plus, home owners would also be thinking about exterior painting. That would give me the opportunity to hire students for the summer and a manager to oversee my offspring company I named Keen and Kleen Student Painters. My son Kevin—who was now a university student—managed that part of the business and even hired his younger brother Brad to work for him. Brad always said (jokingly) that if there was painting to be done in a difficult spot Kevin would assign that to him. That was Kevin—the prankster.

The student painting company did very well, with one of the spin-offs being that the students, who became very efficient painters, would then be moved along to work with me. Two of these were lovely young female high school students that Kevin had hired. Trust Kevin to hire lovely ladies. Eventually—with my training—they developed excellent skills in wallpapering as well as in painting. Michelle and Aleke had emigrated from Holland with their parents and four siblings. They—and eventually three of their sisters, who also worked with me—were all amazing workers. They never needed to be prodded to work harder and didn’t require repeated instructions about the jobs they were assigned.

One summer I signed a very large contract for painting the entire offices and factory of a big company in Barrie. The problem was, I had lined up a week-long preaching engagement at a family camp in Muskoka. What should I do? I made the decision to leave the Dutch sisters in charge. When I returned, the president told me that they had the crews working harder than I had them working when I was in charge. Wow! What a blessing to have staff of that calibre.