His Discerning Presence

My gaze sweeps across the hazy mountains in the distance. I've been told that mountain range is on the other side of the state line in New Hampshire. I’m here in this peaceful setting as a new workweek begins for everyone else but me.

The view this morning from my sister's deck in Mount Vernon, Maine

My sister returned to her job this morning after recuperating from a recent surgery. One of my nieces walked down the long driveway to catch the school bus. The other one is asleep upstairs, a migraine keeping her home.

Today is the first opportunity I’ve had to rest in the Lord’s presence since arriving here a week ago from Dallas. I didn’t want to exchange that concrete jungle for this quiet countryside, yet the tranquility here has quickly consumed my soul.

Relaxing in the crisp morning air, I wonder what my next step is.

Humming birds fluttering nearby remind me of a story I wrote a few months ago while hunting for a job in Dallas. In my angst to find work back then, I encountered some feathered friends that turned out to be a sign from above. An assurance that God had my back. That He had a plan for my future.

Little did I know that several months later, I’d be looking at this same vista that captivated me during my last two visits here. To this place called Maine. A place that holds my immediate future.

I wonder if I’m to write to my heart’s content for the time being. Or if I’m to take everything I learned during my job search this past year to find employment in nearby Augusta. Or maybe I’m to start a jobseekers network in the area. Perhaps I’m to use my life experiences to encourage others in some sort of ministry. Or could it be that I’m to help young, aspiring writers just as my mentor in Texas helped me?

With all these unanswered questions, the one thing I do know is that I’m here for a specific purpose. A purpose not yet apparent.

Although at the moment I’m concerned about employment, a biblical verse calms me from just going after any old job. Matthew 11:29 says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me… and you will find rest for your souls.” That's the kind of rest I need in order to discern the path I am to take.

Lord, show me what I'm supposed to do. Lead me down the road that is Your will and not mine. Open the doors I am to walk through and shut the ones not meant for me.

“… See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it…” Revelation 3:8