The Excitement Revealed........

Whoa! It's been a whirlwind! Let me catch you up to speed!

Remember in my last post, "Like Fire Shut up in My Bones," I spoke about this burning excitement in my spirit, but I didn't know why? It's amaaaaazing how this has all panned out...you can call it whatever you want to call it, but I am calling it GOD!It's all about Him! He was moving in my life (as always), but I couldn't specifically see what He was doing, but I could definitely feel it!

Some of you know that I had been wanting a new job for various reasons for a little while now....and some of you know that job-wise I wanted to stretch my wings and have a little more responsibility, and a little more pay.....and some of you know that I wanted a job that offered more benefits in terms of tuition. But that seemed to be something that wasn't happening because I have not completed my undergrad degree, and the opportunities seemed to be very limited if they were even existant at all. The opportunities were not presenting themselves to me. And the few times that I did get an interview, I was not offered the job. ;-( This was a brand new experience that I was not taking too well....to get an interview and not get the job?! Well!! I never!!! In the past, anytime I applied for a job I got it! What happened to change that?

So I was starting to allow myself to wonder, "Okay Lord, when is it gonna be my turn?" to "Is it ever gonna be my turn?" And believe me, He knew exactly what I wanted, because I ran it down to Him numerous times reminding Him of it just in case He had somehow forgotten me. Yeah, right! :-)

Now, looking back, I see that nothing changed until I changed. Through continuous dousing of the Word, my mindset became, "Lord, wherever You want me to be is where I'll be." "Whenever You move me is when I'll move." And I left it at that. And I had faith in that. I put a stop to the spirit of fear and trepidation that was trying to rule my life and overtake it concerning every area of my life...including my giving....(I'll have to write about that aspect of this story another time.)

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."Romans 12:2
"I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."Lamentations 3:24
The last job I applied for was in September. It seemed to be good a good one....to me anyway. It was less pay than I was currently making, but to me after assessing the costs of the benefits offered, if I had to pay for them versus receiving them for free, then the benefits solidly outweighed the lesser pay. Evidently God had other plans for me...............because I did not get that job...I didn't even get an interview! (Hmmmph! Imagine that!) ;-) But I remember telling a girlfriend of mine at work, that evidently God had something better for me, and that I was waiting for it to come forth. In His time it would be revealed. She agreed with me.

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalms 5:3

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalms 37:4

I continued to look at job postings online at different places, asking God to lead me and guide me in my search. I asked Him to impress upon me, the job He wanted me to apply for....Then one Sunday night I saw it. Immediately, I KNEW in my spirit that this was the job for me...and as soon as I 'knew it was for me' the enemy immediately came right away and snatched that thought away by immediately sprinkling a myriad of different seeds of doubt....and so much so, that I did not submit my resume at that time....but I did print the job description out, and I looked over it from time to time. 'Something' kept tugging at me internally, but I was ignoring it....for some reason I 'wasn't hearing it!'

When I mentioned the job posting to girlfriend at work the next day, (Monday) expressing my newfound doubts about the position, she immediately encouraged me to apply for it anyway. (Looking back, she was definitely being used by God.) After talking to her, I still sat on my resume, but I was still thinking about what she said to me about submitting my resume through out the next couple of days.

On Tuesday, during lunch, I felt led to share with another girlfriend at work about the job I applied for, and I even showed her the job description. She read it, looked me square in the eyes, and said, "That's your job, girl! You know that is your job! That's what you've been asking for!" To make a long story short, both of these women were confirming what I already knew, but I was hesistant to accept.

This sweet women volunteered to be a reference and suggested several other 'key' people on the job that I should ask to be references. I followed her instructions to a 'T' and asked them as she suggested that same day and on Wednesday morning. They all agreed very willingly.

After hearing the Word of God at Bible Class the next night, something resonated within me, (can't put a label on it, other than God) and I went on and sent in my resume online that very same night. That 'something' I mentioned in my last post was starting to resonate within my spirit even stronger....and I felt it, but I still did not know what to make of it. That was Wednesday night.

That Friday of that same week, the institution where I had just submitted my resume on Wednesday night, contacted me for an interview! (Wow! Already?!) We set it up for first thing Monday morning. That Monday we were snowed out, but that was okay. I remember thinking, "What God has for me, can't be blocked...not even by 20 inches of snow!" The institution contacted me the next day for a second interview date. We set it up for the following Monday.

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16

Meanwhile, on the following Friday evening, (the Friday before the second interview appointment) I happened to mention to the lunch date girlfriend that I did not have anything to wear like a nice dark professional suit with a skirt instead of pants, or nice business heels to wear with this yet to be found suit to wear to the interview. I had been combing the stores and the internet relentlessly all that week trying to find them....and reasonably priced too! She asked me what I was doing on Saturday morning. I told her, and she asked me to stop past her house on my way back home. "Okay," I said wondering what she had up her sleeve.

On Saturday morning she called to confirm that I was coming...of course I was coming....I said I was! my curiousity was really piqued at this point. I get to her house, she takes me upstairs to her bedroom, and laid out on on the bed was a huge heap of business attire!

Okay, you have to picture this: I kinda figured that she was gonna try to lend me something for the interview...but in my mind, I figured that would never work...we are not the same size and we are built differently. But I went to her house anyway because she was sweet enough to offer to help me. I decided to appease her, (figuring nothing would fit) so I tried on the suits first, then the dresses, pants and blouses. With the exception of 2 or 3 tops, everything fit like they were made for me. Can you believe that?!?

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," Ephesians 3:20

She had gone on a strict exercise and dietary regimen, and none of her clothing fit her right anymore, and instead of giving her things to a faceless entity, she decided to bless me with the clothes...and I am talking designer labels here, folks!!! AND we both wear size 11 shoes!!!! Finding shoes in our size in really hard, and to have someone bless me with business attire and the slingback pumps to match also, is awesome, awesome, awesome! I left her house loaded down so heavy with clothing and shoes, that I could barely get the huge duffel bag into my house from the driveway....it barely could fit onto the back seat!! That blessing was nothing but God!!

"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18

Interview Monday finally came, and the interview went very well. You know how you 'know that you know?' That's what I felt when I left the interview. I feel that it went well because I was relaxed knowing that God is in control! There was nothing to fear. If it is ordained by God for me, then it is ordained by God for me! Nothing can change that! I told God that I knew that He was the giver of life, of all blessings, even of jobs and promotions...and that I DID NOT want this job just because I wanted it, or just because of the benefits...but I only wanted this job if it was His will for my life, His plan, and part of the next step of growth spiritually for my life....and only if those conditions were met did I want this job.

"For in Him we live and move and have our being..." Acts 17:28

That Wednesday of the same week of the interview, they called and offered me the job. I was excited about the job offer....but I was much more excited about the prospect that finally I knew this job part of God's intricate plan for spiritual growth my life. To me, that was much more exciting than anything else!!!

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

In fact, I remember praying a similar prayer (but not as conditional) before I was blessed with the job I currently have. My current job was definitely the preparation ground for the new job, all across the board in many areas. The things I have learned spiritually, has definitely played a role in preparing me for the next step in my life that God has planned for me.

So along with the sweet comes the bittersweet....I have to leave behind so many friends that I grown to love, cherish, respect along the way for the last six years. Once I started thinking about all of my goodbyes, it was mind-boggling to think of the number of people that I can count as friends. I am definitely rich in friends....and that too is a blessing. So now I am in the process of saying all of my "goodbyes and seeyalaters". This week coming up will be my last week here, and I am happy, yet I am sad. I guess what I heard is true: 'Growth usually involves a little bit of pain.'

Thanks for all of your prayers for me job-wise over the years. God knows what's good for me, I don't. This go 'round I hope not to be such a slow student. ;-)

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1
Halleluyah, Amen! \0/