Worrywart, Be Gone

Network. Network. Network.

Human-resource experts say in today’s market a jobseeker should not expect to find a job by using only a home computer and job boards. He must get out there and network.

Did I emphasize network?

Let me also emphasize my focus for this blog post isn't really about finding a job. But I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, so let me just say I made a significant dent in my search for employment today. Well, it wasn’t exactly my job search that had a dent put in it. It was my tendency to worry that was impacted.

You see, three weeks ago I interviewed with a recruiter for temporary employment. Although her staffing agency places people mainly in office jobs, she’d made a note of my strong writing skills. A week passed and I didn’t hear from her, so I sent an email. Today marked two more weeks without a word, and I sensed I needed to call her even though I felt uncomfortable doing so.

I figured this recruiter was just like the one I contacted five years ago after moving back to Texas. That person never returned my phone calls, so I assumed I didn’t measure up to her company’s standards. That I wasn’t a good fit for their clients. Or that I performed poorly on their assessment tests. I allowed feelings of rejection to cloud the fact that I do make a good first impression and perform well on tests.

And then God stepped in, and I stopped my job search in order to hone my writing skills. All I can say is that it was a God thing. And it wasn’t a coincidence that the doors to potential jobs closed as well.

So, as most of you know, I went back to college, graduated in 2011 with a journalism degree, and now have published articles under my belt.

However, I’m still looking for a full-time writing gig. At times, worry plagues me. And you know what's weird? I thought I overcame that type of worrying a long time ago.

Yet, that worrywart mentality has a habit of rearing its ugly head when I take my focus off the Lord. When I scan my bills, but forget God’s assurance He’ll never forsake me. When I look into the eyes of a homeless man, and forget God’s promise I’ll never have to beg for bread.

Yep, the worrywart stronghold that once consumed me crouches on my doorstep just waiting to take me prisoner again.

With that said, I’ve sensed a stirring in my heart to become a mentor to younger adults. To console and counsel them in areas I’ve struggled with and overcame. So, last night I attended the first session of a program at my church dealing with “freedom recovery.”

My heart leapt when the facilitator testified he used to worry about finances. How he worried his salary as a pastor wouldn't be enough to support his family. This spiritual leader, who was once a worrywart, learned to stop focusing on outward circumstances. Instead he began to focus on the wisdom of God found in scripture.

The scriptures talk about how the heart can be deceived, even the heart of a Christian. And worry is a heart issue.

As sinners with fractured hearts, we see our lives and the world around us through fractured lenses. However, God’s word is truth. Our trust and focus must be in the wisdom of God.

I really needed to hear that again. I’m so thankful I went to last night’s gathering.

And I’m glad I obeyed the prompting inside me this morning to phone the recruiter I met three weeks ago. She never received my email. My negative experience five years earlier with the other recruiter hindered me from reaching out sooner this time around. As I talked with her, my eyes opened to the fact that there was probably nothing I did wrong with the other recruiter all those years ago.

In hindsight, I believe doors were supernaturally closed back then because the Lord wanted me to concentrate on becoming a writer.

God knows everything about me, even my natural talents. And He knows my future.

The right job will come along. Just wait and see.

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? (Matthew 6:25-27; NKJV)

Another Fork in the Road

Grueling. Unsettling. Letdown.

Do those three words describe your job search? A grueling and unsettling predicament filled with letdowns.

Five years ago when I took the first step in pursuing my God-given writing talent, little did I know the many forks in the road that I would encounter.

So many unknowns bombarded my thoughts such as what kind of writer I should become.

Should I be a novelist? A blogger? A newspaper reporter? Or a magazine writer? I also considered what type of business or industry my writing could benefit.

And so, after graduating with a journalism degree, I finally felt confident with my academic credentials to make it as a writer.

Yet now, here I stand at a new fork in the road. Not really a new fork, but a very familiar one.

Which path do I take? The one that lands me a job that uses my past work experiences and enables me to support myself? Or the one where I pursue my passion for writing? A career field laden with starving artists.

As I said, the daily job search has been grueling. A letdown when potential jobs haven’t panned out. And unsettling not knowing what my future holds.

Grueling. Letdown. Unsettling. There are those three words, again.

However, I’ve heard it said you may not know what your future holds, but at least you know Who holds your future. 

As a Christian, I know this to be true. God has my back, and He has yours, too. He also encourages us not to be afraid at least a hundred times in the scriptures.

In the mean time, be still and wait patiently on the Lord. Bloom where you are planted while preparing yourself for His next endeavor for you. He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6) He will open doors no one can shut. (Revelation 3:8)

Follow the divine nudges at those forks in the road.

And wait patiently for the Lord's perfect timing for the job He has in store.

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you....” – Exodus 14:13