A few weeks ago Darryl asked what do people, like me, who live more structured lives rely on God for? All things considered I have a “cushy” job. I receive a regular paycheck, insurance paid for, retirement fund contributed to, work generally 9 to 5 but have flexible hours as needed, have one “boss,” work mostly inside, and have a routine set of tasks although additional projects do come up. Darryl on the other hand is self-employed and has to roll with the punches whether that means a 4am trip over the mountains to pick up parts or meeting with potential clients, etc. I’ve known several self-employed people and the consistent thing about their jobs is that nothing is ever consistent. Will you get paid this week? Maybe… maybe not.
So how do I rely on God in my job? To answer that, I need to start by telling how God worked in my life to secure this job. When Ryan and I were dating, we lived about an hour and fifteen minutes apart however when I was at my job in West Virginia we were about two hours apart. When we planned to get married, we realized it financially and timewise didn’t make sense for me drive two hours each way for work. When I went to college, I did not check the job market for graphic design in my area before choosing that major. A bad plan on my part. So there were jobs available but usually for big corporate companies that didn’t appeal to me. Long hours on the computer lead to fruitless ends.
And I did pray. Praying does not solve problems but it connects you with the Problem Solver. Granted God doesn’t often answer prayers in the way I might wish. No golden letter fell out of heaven. No voice whispered in my ear. But I took on faith that God would help me, as He had promised to do. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). I applied to several jobs but it seemed like nothing was panning out. I thought I was doing what He would want me to do. “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18a). So I knew I shouldn’t just sit back and wait for a miracle. God had blessed me up to this point why shouldn’t I believe He would help me in another job decision?
But this is how God has worked and continues to work in my life. He always waits to the end, the last minute. This is His way of reminding me, “I did this, it wasn’t just your own efforts.” Whenever God worked for His people, He always made it clear that it was His doing. So in keeping with His ways, the job I now currently have was the last entry on the last page of about 10 pages of job listings. It had already been posted for a while, and I wasn’t even sure they were still taking applications. I had doubts but submitted my resume and portfolio anyway. It wasn’t too long until I got a call to set up an interview. Through past experience, I already know I don’t interview well so I knew when they decided to hire me that it was all God.
I’ve been at my current job now for almost seven years, and I rely on Him every single day. Staff change, tools used to do the job change; I’ve called 911 for medical emergencies, comforted grieving church members, relayed a police call about a church member suicide. I’ve prayed with the homeless and downtrodden, hugged those who may not have had a person touch them for a long time. One man, who has some mental problems, calls almost every day to talk to me for a few minutes because he’s lonely and considers me to be a friend. I’ve had people tell me I’m doing a good job and people tell me I’ve made lots of mistakes. People call upset because I misspelled their loved ones name or accidentally left their name off the birthday prayer list. People have told me how much my service means to them and give me gifts of appreciation and notes of thanks. I’ve had people get rid of things I used on a daily basis without asking and then feel terrible about it when I asked where my stuff was and get me something better. People have put perceived needs of others over my actual needs to get my job done efficiently. I’ve made good friends whom I sometimes get together with outside of work for evenings of fellowship. Through the free lunch program I’ve worked with drunks, people who are mentally in another reality, people who think they deserve some kind of assistance just because they exist, been yelled at, cussed at, accused of not being a Christian, hung up on, taken advantage of, and sexually harassed. I’ve talked to an indignant church member who thought a planned church service should be moved to accommodate their child’s wedding and I took that call a few hours after finding out my friend and second mom had died. The next day that person apologized. If I hadn’t allowed God to guide my words to that person who spoke unkindly to me, then the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have been able to convict them of their wrong and bring about a change in their life. Through that incident, I pray we are both closer to God.
So I think a better question would be what do I NOT rely on God for? No job is perfect; they all have pluses and minuses and unpredictability, but I thank God for being a reliable presence in calm structured times and chaotic times and for reminding me daily that He is in control.