..."a-mazing Grace"

in order to remain financially "afloat"for a few more weeks...
I decided to retrieve what little was left in my Putnam MMF...
[it has shown a slight upturn lately...
but is still less than half of its worth about 18 mos ago, *sigh*]
and since I haven't yet been led to "the" job...I need to "liquidate"...

having learned just how hard recent laws have made it...
for me to get my money...
I called Putnam & had the relinquish forms faxed to me...
after reading the myriad of choices on the forms...
I called back today & asked them to "talk me through the forms"...

the customer service rep. was very nice & I was soon glad I'd called...
as I had 2 different accounts, with 2 different numbers...
and both had to be included...
she was also very helpful re. tax liabilities, wire transfers, etc...



since I had to jump through major hoops with the TSA...
[the district, in all its bureaucratic splendor...
had not sent the proper forms to the "holding company"...]
I asked the Putnam rep. about the "release signature" portion...

she assured me that they had not yet encountered an employer...
that didn't have a "TPA"[third party administrator] who could sign it...
ON SITE...

she encouraged me to "call first"...
since I was less likely to get "the run-around"...
if I knew WHOM to speak with...

so after navigating the phone book listings for the district...
[why isn't it just called "payroll" anymore ?]
I placed the call...



of course, I got the prerecorded "menu"...
and after listening to several prerecorded messages...
re Sept. payroll dates & deadlines...
I chose "Payroll Helpline"...

after being connected there, a recorded, officious voice informed me...
that I needed to come down & submit my "request" in writing...
providing my name, employee number & question...
and they would "respond"...["please allow 2-3 working days for a response..."]

so I hung-up the phone & dialed the same number again...
waited through the same recorded announcements...
waited through several menu choices...
and chose "other"...

the nice person[actually "live"...!]
who answered the phone, listened to me & said,
"I'll connect you to the Payroll Helpline"...
before I could protest that I'd already been there...
she transferred me...

this time, however, a person answered the phone...
after I explained that I needed a signature on my release form...
she started telling me about the holding company in KC,MO...

I told her that I had all the forms, properly filled-out...
and that Putnam had assured me that the district would have a TPA...
who could sign the forms without sending them to KC,MO...
then she said, "Oh, you have all the forms...?"
I said yes...
so she said that I could bring them down to the payroll office...
leave them for the attention of Ms XYZ...
& that they would let me know in "a few days" when they were ready...

so I hung-up, finished filling-out/signing the forms[all 7 pages]
and went over to the district offices[aka"The Castle"]
I had no trouble finding a parking place, since it was almost noon...
and went inside, walked up to a window & a nice person came to see what I needed...

I explained my situation, showed her the file folder with my papers...
and told her the name of the person I had been told to leave them with...
she said,"Oh, she's here, but she's on the phone, if you don't mind waiting..."
I didn't and in a minute or so was face-to-face with Ms XYZ...

I told her my situation, she looked at the papers...
and said,"No problem...I can take it to the TPA for his signature today"...
"...it may take only an hour, or it could be a day or two..."
"...if you leave your name & number, I'll call you when it's ready...
so you can come down then & pick it up"...

I thanked her & left, very grateful to God for being guided through the maze...
hopeful that the learning the lesson of persistence, along with trust...
that allowed me the grace to be guided through the maze of bureaucracy...
with my calm & peace intact... would continue to encourage me...
to wait... & trust only in Him...

God is Good, all the time...

but especially when dealing with bureaucracies...