Just Wait for It!
The last part of the job journey!
Whew!!! Summer break is almost over and it has been a whirlwind. My mom convalesced with us, the kids went on vacation and to various camps, and I spent it taking care of everybody and acting like I was not completely losing it about not having a job. If you’ve kept up with the journey on my blog, you know that I lost my job in May. It was a mutual agreement of budget cuts and me not wanting to go back. My heart was 100% okay with it. My head, which calculates the bills and how many random things I don’t need that I can buy, wasn’t. And honestly, there was no reason for the two not to be aligned – God has shown me over and over and over again how faithful He is. And I’ve even written about how we had been obedient to His word through tithing and had so much peace. But I’m still human. And although I didn’t realize it, I was subconsciously spazzing out about the unexpected.
One night during one of those moments, I stayed up until 2 am applying for jobs. I checked on LinkedIn and a job posting that I hadn’t seen before popped up. As I read it I got giddy. It was exactly what I’ve always wanted to do – work with college education majors. I applied, figuring it was a long shot. I drifted off to sleep but not without praying to God that if this was my opportunity that He let it happen seamlessly.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and I get an email inviting me for an interview. Once again I prayed for God’s seamless transition. As I walked across the campus of UNT-Dallas I was giddy. The best job I have ever had was as a Resident Assistant at UNT in Denton. I felt like I was going ‘home’. The interview went phenomenal and I called my husband when I got to the car, screaming about how excited I was. The position was everything I wanted – a college position, mentoring student teachers, part-time, flexible schedule. The next day as I had coffee with a dear friend who’s been praying with and for me on this journey, I got the job offer, which of course I accepted.
As I think back on it, I can’t help but know it was God’s timing. See, about three years ago, I decided that I was going to close the door at my previous school. I went on two great interviews – the people interviewing me actually said that I would most likely get the job. But I didn’t and I was angry, confused, and frustrated. I remember telling my husband that I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just leave and he said in his usual nonchalant voice, ‘God doesn’t think you’ve learned everything you needed to yet’. At the time I thought he was just talking about spiritually. But today, as I sat next to people with administrative certifications (I don’t have one but was the assistant principal for two years – charters work differently) and doctorates (I’ve got a Master’s) I realized that I needed to stay at my previous job to prepare me for this one. What I learned and the experience I got allowed me to walk into this. It allowed me to answer interview questions from a variety of different perspectives. Even what I’ve gone through as an educator with a child who was constantly sick and then had a hard transition to school helped me see things in that interview that others may not have seen. Every thing that had been happening, valleys and peaks, had preparing me for what I’ve desired for a long time.
One of my favorite songs is ‘Wait for It’ from the Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’. It’s about waiting for love, for your shot, for life. And even though the flesh gets in the way sometimes, I’m learning slowly but surely that God has something better in store and I just need to be willing to wait for it.
Until next time…