My Life, My Writing, My Career: How Praying for Direction Helped Me Succeed

 When my oldest daughter was a baby, I found myself unemployed and looking for work. My work history was in the banking industry as a retail teller, but with a baby, the retail hours weren’t a good fit anymore. While I was in college, working evenings and weekends worked out perfectly. I was in a new stage of life and desiring a career that aligned with motherhood. I envisioned a lobby position at a regular bank with the stereotypical “banker’s hours.”

Of course, EVERYONE wants those hours…

But I had faith. As I was offered one retail or motor bank position after another, I stood firm on the belief that God would provide. One day, He did! He blessed me with an office manager position at a brokerage firm. No weekends, holidays, and I was off by 5pm. It gets even better! The office was located less than 2 miles from my home and the daycare. And it gets even BETTER!! The small brokerage firm was a quiet, relatively slow-paced place (especially after the market closed at 3pm), which left me with oodles of time to go back to college and finish getting my teaching certification. And write. I think I wrote 2 or 3 books in the years I worked there.

I stepped out on faith again once I finished my teaching certification. I targeted a particular school, a small, country school with a family-type environment. I had driven past that school every day for a couple of years before moving from a previous home. I remember thinking then how lovely it would be to teach there. And God provided. My first year as an elementary school teacher was spent in a Pre-K classroom with my own daughter in my class. The next year, I moved up to Kindergarten. In all, I spent 7 glorious years at that elementary, the last of which I had the pleasure of teaching my youngest daughter.

Then I spent two stressful years in a school I didn’t pray for. I learned my lesson and stepped out on faith once again, telling my husband that I’d go to work at a fast food restaurant before going back, so get ready if end up jobless. Then I started praying and that was that.

I’m sublimely happy teaching 3^rd grade at the sweetest, little country school there ever was. Many people would love to teach at the school, so the fact that I got the job was a miracle straight from God. I believe with all my heart that God put me where I am today. Divine intervention…

God is so very wise and provides exactly what we need.

Proverbs 2:6, “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

He will gladly share that wisdom with you.

James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

I will end this post with a prayer for you in your career:

Dear Lord,

Bless those reading this. You have a career plan for them, a vision for the future that leads to success. Whatever job assignment they receive, may they recognize and remember it comes from You. Help them prioritize and execute their duties, so that they might glorify your kingdom in all that they do. Show them that any trials they encounter are really treasures from You to teach them. And when they make mistakes or fall short of expectations, may they cry out to You and ask for help. You are their partner and their strength. May they bear fruit in their lives and in their work. May they find comfort in You when pressure rises. Help them persevere and know that You will provide. Your word is good. Most importantly, Lord, let them be a witness wherever they go. In Your precious son’s name, I pray.

Amen