Inflection Point

I am scheduled to take a third exam next Wednesday, January 18, as a necessary part of my career path at IBM. I clearly have the option to refuse this exam. However, if I choose not to take this exam at this time, it will necessitate my deployment to a different project, at best, and potentially to a different part of IBM or to another company or industry altogether. I see next Wednesday as something of an inflection point in my career.

Until today I held out a hope of easily moving to another part of IBM. Last winter, while on the bench, I did some work of interest to another IBM team, but they were unable to hire me at that time. Today I had a conversation with a manager there, and they again have no openings, although they remember and appreciate the work I did. It appears today that that door is closed to me.

Although I have received some much-appreciated encouragement from colleagues, I continue to have a deep and abiding interest in not taking this exam. I continue to pray that God will arrange things so that I do not need to undertake this experience at this time, if He is so willing, and I solicit your prayers in this matter. If He wants me to stay the course, I pray that I will know His presence as I walk through the shadows in this particular valley.