Reason #339
Four years ago this December, I graduated from college. I had a piece of paper with my name on it, signifying that I was capable of retaining information long enough to pass a test on it, and I had no clue what I was going to do with my life. I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t ready to graduate. I didn’t want to be done with school. I was terrified, too. School was all I knew. I had been going for 16 years of my life, after all. I have an August birthday so I was young. Four months into my 21st year of life. I was degreed in a subject that I abhorred, and I didn’t even know where to begin looking for a job. Here’s the thing, in business school, you’re reminded again and again that you are going to graduate, get a job and make an incredible living. And were this the 90’s, that might very well be true. I’m not a workaholic, and I highly doubt I’ll ever be. Forty hours a week is plenty for me. I want to enjoy what I do for 8 hours a day and then enjoy the rest of life. But they don’t tell you this in school. Oh no, they make no mention of the fact that if you want to be successful relatively quick and make a good chunk of change while doing it, you’ll need to work many hours doing most likely doing something that sucks the joy out of your days. So I took a job that I hated. I didn’t ever work over 40 hours a week, but the hours I did work drug on and on. I cried everyday on my way home and was miserable. This wasn’t how adult life was supposed to be.
A year and a half into it, I couldn’t take it any longer. I was hardly ever happy and the only days I enjoyed were Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays. Through an interesting turn of events, the Lord gracious opened the door for me to take a job with American State Bank. I had worked at a bank in college and always told my mom that if I could ever work within a bank doing training, I would do it in a heartbeat. Just so happened that’s what this position was. I didn’t really expect to receive an offer, so I was shocked when I was given the opportunity. I started and immediately fell in love with my job and my co-workers. It didn’t take me long to build incredible relationships. This was, by far, the best organization to work for. A company that valued its employees. That cared and made you feel as if you mattered, as if your contributions were vital and important. An employer who spoiled their employees rotten, too. I had it made. I wasn’t raking in the dough, but I had a job I loved and I looked forward to going to work for so many reasons. I was so thankful to not just have a job anymore, but to actually have an established career. I knew I belonged here. I knew this was where I wanted to stay for the rest of my working years and I began to dream of what my next step would be.
Acquisition was not a word in my vocabulary. I never imagined that was going to be my next step. They say all good things must come to an end, and I suppose that was the case here. I had no idea what was going to happen. Was I going to keep my job? How much were things going to change? Were they going to change for the better or for the worse? And boy, did it change quickly. After all the adjustments I had been put through, this was yet another one I didn’t want. And, once again, I found myself not knowing what to do. But God is faithful to take care of us, to open doors when we need them, and so I just decided I would stay until He moved me. Here’s what I’ve learned. When peace is absent, when stress and turmoil begin to be prevalent in your life, there is a reason. In my case, that’s how God begins to get my attention. To create a little sense of discomfort so that I’ll cry out to Him, seek guidance from Him, and trust Him.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year, it’s that God knows exactly what I need and when I need it. He knew I needed that job at ASB and provided it for me the moment I needed it. The door opened at the right time, just when I felt I was at the end of my rope. God knew I needed that job for more than just provision. Because God knew I would walk through my deepest valley during 2011. He knew I needed a strong support system at work. After all, work is where we spend a majority of our time. He knew I needed a boss who was understanding and sympathetic towards me. He knew I needed a co-worker who had grown into a confidant and close friend. He knew I needed a positive and uplifting environment to pull me through my darkest days. He knew I needed to feel loved, valued, appreciated and accepted, which is how I felt each day when I came to work. He knew this long before I knew it, and He made it all happen at the right time.
So God has opened a new door for me. God has given me yet another opportunity and I’ll admit that I am scared. My heart is a little achy as I close the door to a place that has impacted my life so greatly. As I bid farewell to my home away from home, a place where I was settled, where I grew, where I healed, a place that I loved greatly, I feel quite emotional. Sad to be moving on in a different direction because these people have become more than co-workers to me. This place was more than just a job to me. But I’m excited about what God is going to do. Stepping out in faith, I’m trusting once again in His provision. I don’t know what He’s got in store. I don’t know what will come, but He does and I know there’s a reason He opened the door at this time. I know this isn’t just by chance. And I know He’ll take care of me. I never know how He will do it, but He always does.
#339- Because He has opened a new door for me.
“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others…For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8&10