Reason #905
The Lord is in the business of doing big things. He really is. I mean big things. And I think the reason we sometimes don’t see it is because we don’t really ask for it. You know, we kind of ask and then we either give up asking, forgot we asked, or we just run ahead of him rather than letting Him work it out for us. We pray first, try every other avenue, and I think that maybe where we go wrong. Maybe, just maybe, the thing we need to do it pray for it, wait for it, and keep trusting God for it.
I’ve become selective over the years about the personal information I share. Yet I figure when the Lord does a big work in your life, you need to tell people. They need to hear about His goodness. We can never get enough of that, now can we? After hearing sad story after sad story every single day, it’s nice to hear something uplifting. It’s nice when things work out well for people. And so here’s the big work that God has done in my life recently, and I hope it’ll encourage you to pray, wait, and keep trusting God for whatever your heart’s desires are.
I have written numerous entries about my job struggles over the past two years. It has been a tough road filled with all sorts of humbling and frustrating scenarios. The real problem was that I had a job I loved, as you’re well aware by now, that was taken away from me. It was my “dream job,” and when people would ask me what I wanted to do, I’d tell them about that job. That is the only job I have ever had where I looked forward to waking up and going to work every day. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some good jobs along the way, but this was a unique job. It was one of those jobs that maximized and utilized my natural talents and abilities, and it was my passion. I lamented my job the day I found out it was ending in its true fashion, and since then I’ve compared every other job to it. And so I found myself feeling really defeated and discouraged thinking, “I’ll never get that job back. I’ll never have another job like that.”
My mom encouraged me to start asking the Lord for an opportunity to use my natural talents and abilities. She made a point to tell me that if He gave me those skills and desires, then He had a reason behind it. He wasn’t going to waste them. And so I began praying that prayer while looking for jobs that would match my skills, abilities, and desires. (Note the prayer/leaning on my understanding combination here.) The thing was, there weren’t many. Daily, I scrolled through pages of job openings and none of them struck a chord with me. Some of my close friends began job hunting for me, yet nothing they mentioned really tugged at my heart. I got my resume together and worked up the courage to apply for a position that was in a completely different line of work. I got a call to start the interview process and quickly found out the company had decided to place a hiring freeze. I had prayed that God would close the door if it wasn’t His will, and He most certainly did. And so I kept looking in that same line of work thinking maybe I just needed to get in a whole new arena. Maybe that was the key. Maybe I had positioned myself in the wrong industry all together. Yet there was something inside of me that kept me from applying for any jobs. When I would find one that I thought might be a good fit, I couldn’t bring myself to send in my resume. And so I kept putting it off. Aaron would ask me about applying and I’d just say, “No, not yet.” I didn’t know what it was, but I knew that I didn’t need to keep searching and applying, and so I stopped. I decided I would actually trust the Lord and not let impatience get the best of me.
I received an email out of the blue one afternoon. A friend from college, whom I haven’t seen in years, remembered that I had worked as a trainer and he works for a bank that was searching for someone to manage their training department. My eyes nearly popped out of my head as I read through the email, and I quickly responded that I was interested. I went home that night and, thank goodness, had an updated resume to send him. He passed it along to the right people who invited me in for an interview. The next thing I knew, they were offering me the position to be the head of their training department and I was completely in awe and amazed that I was getting this chance. I never thought I’d get the opportunity again. I didn’t even expect it. And the funny thing is, this very bank was where I started my banking career 6 years ago. In fact, after my first week in training, I called my mom and told her, “If I could ever have any job, I’d love to be a trainer at this bank.” Dreams do come true.
But more than that, God is faithful. How could I ever deny that? How could we desire something so much, not even know it is a possibility, and it become our reality without us even seeking it out? Only the Lord can make this kind of stuff happen, my friends. This isn’t good karma, good luck, or a good universe. He is a good God! And I praise Him for continuously blowing my mind with His blessings. For reminding me that He knows what I need, what my heart desires, and He has a perfect plan for me. That He is in control, and I don’t need to spend my time worrying and wondering how or if it will work out. I don’t need to seek out a plan or try and carve out a way, I need to seek out The One with a perfect plan who is carving out the way. The One who always works things out. The One who desires to lavish us with His love and blessings if only we will wait on Him and allow Him to do it.
So next Monday I start my “dream job.” It has been a long time coming… back around, that is. Full circle. Funny how the Lord seems to do that so often, huh? Funny how He gets us back where He needs us to be. Sometimes the journey getting there is long because of our wandering ways, and sometimes we just have to go through different circumstances to prepare us for what is in store. Either way, it always ends up as it should when we trust the Lord. So pray, wait, and don’t stop trusting Him. He has great things in store for you.
#905 - For all of the good things He continues to do.
"For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." - Isaiah 41:9-10