Wednesday, February 9, 2000
9:45 PM, on the computer

I just got home from my last night at Spencer Gifts. At 5:20 PM, I called my manager from the back room, and with tears in my eyes I quit my first job. You're probably wondering why, and it's for very religious reasons. It's a long story so I'll start at the beginning.

My day started out very unusual. Courtney, for some reason, was late picking me up, and I spent the beginning part of my day watching sermons on TV while waiting on her. I was watching one program by a minister named Creflo Dollar, and he was amazing. His sermon was about Spiritual Bumpers, and in his message he said something that I didn't understand, but it stuck with me: "When God tells you to do something, you'd better do it, or in the long run you're going to get killed."

I continued to watch more sermons, and it wasn't until 9:30 (thirty minutes into my first class) that I decided to leave the house on my own. Well from there I walked right into my computer class and read the second book to the Left Behind series, Tribulation Force. After that class I had oral interpretation, and before going to class I heard my close friend Georgia crying outside of class, saying something about being mentally exhausted and how she's always forgetting things now. I felt sorry for her and realized I couldn't help her then, so I went into class and I gave my assignment to the teacher. After dismissing us I asked Georgia if she wanted to eat lunch, and she said she couldn't then, so I went to the comp lab to mess around on the computer for a bit. After a while I went into the library and Georgia was in there, and I invited her to lunch again and she agreed. We ate lunch and then ended up talking about the Rapture of the church and whatnot, and ended up studying the Book of Revelation so hard that I missed my last class... hey, I think it's funny.

After that, I went to my advisor's office to drop a class, and then headed home. I stopped into work to get my schedule before clocking in, and while in the backroom I saw it. We got a new item in the store that was absolutely demonic... it was a large fountain called the "Gateway of Hell", that had a sad face that melted red liquid down a rocky hill into a pit that was surrounded by demons and a large wax figure of satan... it really bugged me. I thought about it on the way home, and decided to not tell my parents about it just yet because I knew they'd make me quit. I went home and watched Transformers and meditated over the recent addition to the stockroom. I decided then that then was the time that I needed to make a stand. I was going to tell Jeff about how much I hated that fountain, and demand Sundays off from now on while I was at it. I didn't think he'd want me to break one of the Ten Commandments.

Then I started thinking about the other things sold there. Ouija boards. Pentagram Necklaces. Dragon statues. Wizard statues. Countless sex toys and flavored lotions.

I decided then was the time to put in my two week notice. I prayed to God for strength. I was told instead to quit my job.

I decided then was the time to put in my one week notice. I prayed to God for strenght. I was told instead to quit my job.

God told me to do something.

Then it hit me. "When God tells you to do something, you'd better do it, or in the long run you're going to get killed." I thought about what that meant... killed... if I don't do what God tells me to, I'm going to get killed...

If I don't do what God says, I'm going to hell.

I decided then that I was not going to Hell.

I asked God for a sign that quitting today was the right thing to do, and I heard a song on the radio that I had been wanting to hear lately but hadn't heard in almost a year. I was brought to tears, I realized that I had to quit my job. I walked right into the back room before clocking in and called Jeff, explaining to him my situation. He understood, then told me he respected me and that I was one of his best employees, and told me he'd be sad to see me go but if I felt I had to then I had to. He then told me I was one of his closest friends and that he'd still like to be, and I agreed and told him I'd like that. His last wish for me as boss though was to stick around that night so there wouldn't just be one person. I figured it was rational and prayed about it and got nothing, so I agreed and worked. I didn't do a blasted thing though, and refused to clean the section with the sex toys. It was a really long night, and after I mopped I took off my shirt, folded it, and put it on Jeff's desk.

I realized that I had less than a few minutes left until closing time, and I started thinking about the last episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, where they started singing before shutting the tv studio down for the last time. I held back my tears, lifted up my head, and walked out of the store for the last time as an employee of Spencer Gifts. I hugged my supervisor goodbye and told her I'd visit, then started crying as soon as I got in my car.

So here I am, typing this as an unemployed person... I feel lonely, but I know that what I did was right. I had to make a stand somewhere, and now I realized that every aspect of my life belongs to God now... I hope He uses it for the best. And if anyone feels complelled to do so, some prayer would be nice...

"It's a long way... to Tipparari..."