God Will Place You Where You Can Do The Most Good

God Will Place You Where You Can Do the Most Good

(for the Global Fellowship of Christian Jobseekers Newsletter)

Job History

This month's column is a testimony of God's faithfulness, not only to provide, but also to place you where you can do the most good.  It just sort of fell into place as I was working on revising my memoir that I will be publishing soon. In order to share the testimony, I have to let you in on a little of my job history.

While still a faculty member at Southeast Missouri State in 2005, I took three journalism classes for about a tenth of the regular cost. As an assistant professor, I had experienced two non-renewals of contracts. Both were devastating and heartbreaking, and, to say the least, I did not understand.

Let Go

I had written some stories for the local newspaper and even wrote a real estate column but could not get an offer for a position. One of my professors had told me if you want to work as a reporter you might have to take a job “where no one else wants to go.” So one day when I was living in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, an ad appeared in the paper for a reporting job in Ellington, Missouri, at the Reynolds County Courier. I got the job, sold my house and moved in November 2005.

 Within a year I had decided to move home, applied for and received an offer for a reporting job in Osage City, Kansas, still 33 miles south and east of my hometown of Topeka and a 45 minute trip back and forth. But it was closer. After about eight months at that job with no benefits, I decided to look for a reporting job with benefits.

In August 2007, I found one as education reporter for Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas. The Johnson County Sun suspended publication as of August 17, 2011, almost three and a half years after they eliminated my position in March 2008. I had worked there seven months. Receiving a second-place award for best education story from the Kansas Press Association didn't help me keep the job.

Downsized, Unemployed, Employed, Laid Off, Working

I fulfilled my lease at my Overland Park apartment, lived on unemployment and bought groceries with my credit card until July 2008, when I moved to Topeka for a temporary preschool teaching job at a non-profit agency for seven weeks. After those weeks passed, another job within that agency became available which I had until June 23, 2011, when I was, again, laid off because of downsizing.

At that time I began substitute teaching. I substituted in more than one district at a time. One semester I subbed in four districts. I was still learning to trust God for my needs every day, and I figured if I subbed for all of the local school districts I would never have to worry about working.

Then one day a woman called from one of the local school districts and asked if I'd be interested in shadowing a girl from Mexico at the high school. At least I could work at the same place every day. She didn't know if this job would last two weeks. It lasted for two years. After working with the girl for two years, I really felt she needed to become more independent of me and I also wanted to try to get a more regular position. As soon as this thought occurred to me, I got a call from the human resources director who asked if I would be interested in any para-educator positions. I thought that was an interesting coincidence, since I had not looked at the website or anything to see if there were any openings.

Placed By God

As a child of God I placed my employment entirely in the care of God. It hasn't always been easy, but even though things have not always gone the way I wanted them to, God has provided for me. I am also a child of divorce. When I gave my life to Jesus many years ago I really had no idea how he would work in my work life, but I hoped I could be a blessing to children of divorce. And now I can see that God placed me where I could best be used to minister to people, to children, in my case.

Today I work with young children as a literacy tutor in an elementary school, and today much greater numbers of children come from fractured families. Having come from a broken home myself helps me understand why many of these children are having such a hard time in school, and I am able to be more patient and nurturing towards them.

And then I found out this morning that the girl I worked with last year and the year before graduated, that she graduated strong, and that she even got a local scholarship offer! This confirmed to me that I had done the right thing by changing jobs when I did. I was following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and I knew that I was doing so, but when I found out how well she did it just confirmed to me that God had been in all of that, working it all out so that everybody benefited. That is our faithful God.

God is Faithful

So keep in mind, no matter what your current circumstances are, that God is your creator and knows everything about you. He knows where you will fit, where you can do the most good, and where you can be happy. I can't say that I have always been happy in my job. Can you? I never dreamed I could be happy in a job, but I am happy in this one.

Sometimes it's good just to relax and not try to figure everything out. I never knew much about that but I am learning. All praise is due to our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, remember, you are His ambassador. He has just the right position for you. It may not all make sense to you all the time what God is doing, but you can be sure that He is looking out for you. He will not fail you. Be encouraged, my friend.

Father, thank you that you do make all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to your purpose, and we do love you. You are awesome, mighty and magnificent. You are also kind, loving, gentle and merciful. You make us like you so that we can give and receive love and serve in Jesus' name. Help us to be flexible and trusting, and help us to rest in the assurance that though your ways are higher than our ways, you are not capricious and fickle, but compassionate and merciful. If you did not spare your own Son, but delivered him up for us all, as your word says, how shall you not with him give us all things? Encourage my brothers and sisters who may be going through a difficult time in their job journey. Bless and help them now in Jesus' name. Amen.

Romans 8:28-32  (NKJV)