Attention Passengers!! Please take your purchases to the
nearest register and return to the car.
Our road trip continues!
That was a long rest stop wasn’t it? But as usual there’s been lots going on.
As most of you know, I think of life as a spiritual
journey. During the course of this
journey we are tested, rewarded, rattled and comforted. We also sometimes reach parts of this journey
where we're comfortable. It's usually during this time that God shakes things
up a bit.
My recent shake? In early March, I was informed I was being
laid-off – the firm is doing some restructuring or something and lots of folks were being let go. Shocked? So was I!
I think I scared my boss a little though. I didn’t cry or break down. I simply told him we’d had a good run and I
hated to see it end. I got so quiet he started asking me if
I was okay, and if I needed to go home. I was so calm
I think he was scared I was about to go postal, or worse yet, pull angry black
woman out of my pocket. And we all know
the angry black woman is the most feared creature on the planet!
ROTF!!
I was in the zone at my old job! I was comfortable. My team ran like a well oiled machine. I had great bosses. No micro-managing….just letting
me do my thing and getting results. I
had a top notch secretarial staff. And
when extra hands were needed for mass mailings and such our receptionist could
stuff envelopes with the best of them, and there was Michelle – she runs the document production room. And she’s awesome!!! She was always on top of making sure my team had the supplies we needed, and would even keep the mail guy talking for as long as possible till that last mail bin was ready. She's such a flirt! (Just as an aside: I never go to work looking
to make friends. My philosophy has
always been “respect me, I’ll respect you, and we’ll get the job done”. But when I do make a friend, I’m a better
person because of it. And ya’ll know I
don’t throw the “friend” label on just anybody.
Well I count Michelle among my friends! Love ya girl!!)
Back to my tale.
I was told March 31st would officially be my last
day. I had a month left in my comfort
zone. At the time I was, quite
literally, of 2 minds. One part of my
mind was cursing and throwing a temper tantrum.
The other part of my mind went immediately into survival mode – that’s a
polite way of saying I went into “Shit!!! I gotta find a job!” mode. I also made a conscious decision to go out
with class. I packed up my office – no fuss
- made sure all my work was finished and up to date. I worked the job the way I always did. You see, I believe people ALWAYS remember 2
things about you….the first impression……and the last. Folks
never remember how Mary worked 14 hour days to make sure the quarterly report
was done. Or how she made everybody’s
birthday special. Nooooo…….they’ll remember Mary screaming and cry, and how her
husband had to be called, and the doctor gave her valium, and all that other
crap.
Anywho. Survival
mode. Updated the resume. Flooded the market. Did a bunch of interviews.
I started my new job on April 22nd. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!
You see, God had to shake me up by forcing me out of my
comfort zone. Whatever my Grace place
is, my task, my journey……God determined I was not going to complete my
assignment because I was too comfortable where I was.
He closed a door and opened a window – a window of opportunity.
My commute is shorter.
Everybody at the new job is really nice.
I’m getting to expand my knowledge in an area of law that really interests
me. And my new bosses don’t micro-manage
me either! Just letting me work my magic!! (Doing my happy dance!!)
I made this whole ordeal sound really easy, and made me sound like Jenny
Cool.
Truth is. It was
scary! This economy is still recovering. There are still so many people out of
work.
How long was it going to take for me to find a job?
Would my unemployment be enough for me to meet my financial
responsibilities?
Would I have to cut back on my wine purchases? (This one
really had me worried!)
If I went to a show of a sexy male stripper, would I have
$10 to put in his thong? Seriously!!
Soooo many things!!
But no matter how scared or worried I was, I had to remember
one thing: If He brought me to it, He’ll bring me through it!
It wasn’t always easy to remember this so I even repeated it
out loud to myself when I felt low moments coming on.
You know what? It was
a tremendous comfort.
When God shakes up your world and you feel boxed in, repeat
that mantra over and over again – a thousand times if necessary. You say it until you remember that God has
your exit strategy already in place.
That shaking up your world is your opportunity and God’s need, for you
to grow. Change may not be easy, but it
doesn’t have to be all consuming either.
When God closes a door, He’s already opened another
portal. Get ready to dive through it. Repeat your mantra. Keep your hand in His.
He’s got you!!
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