The assistant County Treasurer

The year was 1983. I was excited because I had just gotten out of school. I graduated finally with a degree in accounting. It was before the internet. It was with landline phones still around. And the area was Central Illinois. Cass County had the same treasure for many years. I was excited for the opportunity to work for Mike Bass. But it wasn't long before strange things began to happen. I sold my home in a small town not too far away to be close to work so I could walk to work everyday to work with Mike. But Mike wasn't the only one I had to work with. There were two older ladies well over their 60s in the office. Neither one of them had accounting degrees and from day one I could tell I was a very big threat to them. The tension in the office you could cut with a knife from the first day I work there. They didn't want to help me learn the ropes. And every day I would start the day at home getting dressed for work with weird phone calls with no voice on the other end. It wasn't long till Mike Bass would come down stairs with me in a separate room and say quote the girls think you don't like them and they think you don't communicate very well with them. I told him I have no problem with him but I feel like they're alienating me because they don't feel comfortable around me. This went on for weeks. And eventually the emotional stress took its toll on me and I quit. It was a Saturday morning I wrote a note to Mike explaining my feelings and reason why I was quitting and I left it on his desk with the keys to the office. Now mind you I had sold the home and bought a home in this town for this job. It was a stunning move because I was so excited and I want to prove myself to Mike. I did not have a job lined up when I quit. But I had to . I found a job in Springfield as a night auditor. It was an all-night job and I would sleep during the day. And I found it terrifying one night because as I drive in someone turn their lights off behind me and trying to run me off the road. The car had no license plates on it and they drove as far as they could without leaving Cass County. I knew in my heart of hearts this was Mike Bass related. He was afraid that I was going to try to run against him in the next election for County treasure. So these intimidation tactics were getting pretty profound. I've always been a Christian man and I didn't believe Mike was. So I really didn't have an answer for all this but I knew God did. I'm a firm believer in God and I'm a firm believer in Providence. God not only is God ,he is always watching and always ultimately in control. Whatever Mike Bass was doing God was seeing it and God would deal with Mike Bass. So me and my wife ,Patty ,would spend prayer vigils every evening before I went to work. And we used the narrative from Second Chronicles chapter 20. For those that aren't really well versed with the Bible this chapter goes something like this. When we don't know what to do you realize that God does know what to do and we give it all to God. And we leave it in God's hands and we tell him to respond. My wife Patty and I did that evening after evening for quite some time. Then something amazing happened. Mike Bass called. I have not heard from him since the day I quit. It had been many months. And the phone call was quite poignant. Mike Bass was contrite. He was crying. He ask for forgiveness. Yet he never mentioned what he did wrong .But I think we both knew what he did wrong. I found it profound and exciting. There is a Bible verse in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 6 and it reads ...

seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them the trouble you. That verse was played out in the Mike Bass situation. Mike Bass was deeply troubled for what he did to me. The only one that could do that to him was God. I never talked to him at all about what went on . I just prayed to God and left it in God's hands. This is all been many years ago and since then many things have changed but it was truly a remarkable time in my life. I will never forget it because I saw a God at work behind the scenes. I also found some real peace knowing that God is who his Bible says he is. The lady that became the assistant treasure later developed breast cancer and died within 2 years. Mike had to fire the other lady in the office because she was creating such havoc with her co-workers. And in retrospect I was happy because I was well on my way to a great career in the hotel business in Springfield Illinois. I got to know a great entrepreneur who owned many different hotels, who took me under his wing ,and showed me the ropes. I will forever be grateful to Fred Papi for all of his help and his interest in me. He gave me a long and happy career from which I have retired and enjoyed all those years. So you see sometimes what seems like a terrible situation in an office, like my situation., sometimes makes you regroup and move in a different direction and find what God really wanted you to do with your life. As Romans chapter 8 verse 28 says and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For me Romans 8:28 was lived out and it again affirmed my faith in God. So for everyone that thinks they have a bad situation at work , yes sometimes it is for the moment. But many times long term that bad situation will make you change your direction and you'll find what you really were made to do!