How God Got Me My Dream Job

It was the summer of 2017 and I had a four year old and a one year old. Having stayed at home since my eldest was born, I was beginning to get the itch. Never think that Stay-at-Home-Mums have it easy! I love my kids, I value and believe in my role in the home, but honestly, it was a tough season – full of frustration, soul-searching, identity crisis and relying on God for every second of the day (as well as for finances!).


Part of the problem was that when we started a family, we moved from London to Kent. Prior to this I had worked in magazine publishing (you can read more about my 'glittering' career here), and then was the Production Editor for an online craft retailer. I wasn't exactly Lois Lane, but I loved my editing and my writing, and working in these types of environments. I had responsibilities, I worked to deadlines, I managed people and processes... and then, I became a mum. And it was... different.

So when I started thinking about going back to work, it was pretty depressing. I didn’t have a job to go back to, and my home town is not the hub of media, publishing and communications that London obviously is. I don’t drive and I didn’t want to spend all my wages and time commuting, especially with young kids at home; neither did I want to leave them languishing in childcare for too much of the day (and I certainly couldn't have coped with the stresses of dropping them off and picking them up if I then had to rush to get the train!). 

I basically wanted the best of both worlds and I was convinced that there was nothing in my town for me – I couldn’t see what my future looked like. Would I stay at home forever? Was this it? 

Now, please hear me, I greatly respect mums who do stay home and I think they do wonderful things, and without financial pressures, maybe I would have felt differently. However, at that time, I was grieving the loss of a career - everything I had ever dreamed of and worked for, (wrongly) tied up in my identity as a person - and I desperately wanted to continue that journey, wherever it may lead, but with my kids by my side.

So one day, feeling particularly sorry for myself, I said “God, I need a job. But it has to be part time, it has to pay enough to cover nursery fees (no small feat), it has to be walking distance from Ruby’s school, with a nursery nearby, and flexible enough for the school runs. It has to be relevant to my skills and experience - writing and editing - and I want to feel like I’m making a difference in the world, so it would be great if it could be in the field of charities, politics or mission – bonus points if it’s a Christian organisation.” 

Laughable, really. I was basically giving God an impossible dream, I was pretty sure I had Him. He might be able to create the world from nothing, but there's no way He could create a job that ticked all those boxes. The only jobs in my town were service-based jobs - great if you're an accountant, a retailer, a teacher, or working in the NHS. But you want to be a Christian journalist? Hmmm... that's a tough one.

But do you know, that when you ask God for outrageous things, He loves to prove His goodness? The Bible says "Ask and you shall receive" - and maybe this is one of those times, where I asked, not really thinking that God would come through, but He takes great joy in proving to us that all things are possible with Him!

Anyway, so I made my outrageous request. Fast-forward three months and a job advert went out. At the time, I didn’t know anything about Mission Aviation Fellowship - a Christian charity that flies into the most isolated places in the world, transporting aid, medical relief and the gospel. I had vaguely heard of it because a few acquaintances in local church circles worked for them, but I didn’t know what it was. 

But four unrelated people sent me the job advert within two days. The job title? Editor & Writer. It turned out it was a new role, only just created. It paid (pro-rata) almost the equivalent of my London wage (don't get me wrong, my London wage wasn't loads, but it was enough). It was a 10 minute walk from my daughter's new school, with a choice of three nurseries on the way. It was three days per week... I mean, I could go on, but basically it ticked every single box.

Of course, nothing is straightforward, and I suffered great anxiety over whether I should apply. Was I being selfish? Was I even qualified? Who am I to even think that I was good enough for this job? Was Joel too young? I was already taking on so much at church, could I cope with this? But then my pastor sent me the advert, so I thought I better apply in case she asked me about it! (Looking back, I have to laugh at myself - God did everything except neon lights to point me to this job and yet I still doubted!).

That was in mid October 2017, I went for an interview on November 1st and started on November 20th. I can honestly say that it is the best job I have ever had. Every single ‘requirement’ of mine was fulfilled – along with many other things that I would never have even thought to ask for. Two years on, and every day I am grateful for this job. Every day I look forward to going to work. Every day that I sit at my desk, I am reminded of God's provision, of His goodness and of how He loves to bless us - not just with what we need, but over and above what we could ever ask, think or imagine.

Never doubt God’s ability to provide the ‘impossible’ for you. Stop putting His provision in a box. Never doubt that he will provide above and beyond! He knows exactly what you need, and he has been orchestrating events in the background, to bring you the opportunities you need just at the right moment (God actually created this job for me!). Never doubt that He has you exactly where He wants you and that there is a plan and a purpose to it all. And when it all comes together? Don't forget to give all glory to Him!


Photo by Andrijana Bozic on Unsplash
How God Got Me My Dream Job How God Got Me My Dream Job Reviewed by Love Emily on November 16, 2019 Rating: 5

1 comment:

  1. Love this testimony. So true. Each step of our journey we too have seen that God is able xx

    ReplyDelete

Powered by Blogger.