I have had this question written on a sticky note for awhile now. One Bible study I have been doing this year has to do with the book of Romans. There is a weekly verse and it comes with questions. This was one of the questions. It’s been on my mind frequently in the past month or so.
Challenges occur in our lives frequently. It could be as simple as there being a lot of traffic on your commute or could be as serious as a terminal illness. Is it possible to see the good when you feel like you are hitting rock bottom? Yes, but it’s sure hard to see it at the time.
There have been many challenges the past few years that have turned into some of my greatest blessings to date. Probably the largest came as I resigned from my in person teaching job. Something had happened and I chose to leave. I did not do anything wrong or illegal but the person in HR told me very clearly that I could stay, and that he would ruin my life and take my teaching license.
There wasn’t really a choice, and at that point, after all I had been through at that school, it was time to go. I hadn’t listened to the small voice telling me to get out for months, so God created a situation where I knew that the right thing to do was go.
That was the first time in my life that I had ever been unemployed. I was very busy those first few months, rewriting my resume, talking to people, taking and trying jobs that I thought would interest me. I was finally sleeping peacefully through the night again- it had been years since that had happened. Stress had taken quite a toll on my body.
I found part time jobs to fill my time and my bank account. A few months later, I was offered what I thought would be a great job. The offer was rescinded two hours after it was offered. When they contacted my previous employer, they had not been kind. (even though our conversation was “confidential”) In the long term, that job would probably not have been a forever job, but it did have everything I needed at that time. One more obstacle put in my path.
I didn’t give up, that was not an option. Later that year, I was offered a job at exactly the right moment, with the kindest people. I told them everything about my previous post- even the other job offer that was taken back, and they did not flinch. They listened with empathy and reacted from a Christian perspective. We discussed how a similar situation would play out at their school. It was a very different world and a place that aligns with my values.
It was 18 months after leaving the brick and mortar school before I had another full time job, and I work there now. It began as a part time and turned into a full time job that I really love. And that also came at just the right moment. God is pretty funny like that.
I told you about the challenges, what are the blessings?
- I learned how to accept help, and ask for it when I need it.
- I learned who will stand with me and who has my back.
- I learned that there is always a window when the door is closed and even the closed doors are blessings.
- I learned that you can love people, and still need to walk away from them.
The three year path to today was not straight, or easy. Walking through it felt like an eternity at times but I wouldn’t change it. I knew that God had brought me to it and God would bring me through it and He did. He continually sent me people and situations that reminded me of what happens when you trust. I was and continue to be grateful each day for the blessings God has given me.
What challenges are you facing today? Do you trust that God brought you to it and will bring you through it? If the answer is yes to the previous question, you will see the blessings sprinkled among the challenges. It doesn’t make them easier to bear, but it does mean that God is doing great things in your life and that is the biggest blessing of all.
