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My “God Job”

About four years ago, my husband and I were forced to leave our jobs and almost lost our house.  Throughout that difficult time, I know that God was taking care of us, but I didn’t know it at the time.  In fact, if we hadn’t left that company, not only do I truly believe that I would probably already be dead from a heart attack or stroke due to the huge amounts of stress and weight I was carrying around, but I know I never would have gotten desperate enough to come back to OA.

Once back in program, I slowly began turning to my Higher Power for help with all aspects of my life, not just for help with my battle with food addiction.  Yet, even though time and time again “HP” would come through for me, I kept hesitating (and sometimes still do) on looking to Him for guidance.  At some point, although we had started our own property management company and were making enough money to get-by, we had no money for anything unexpected, such as medical expenses and home maintenance.  I knew it was time to look for a side job, but I didn’t want to.  Over those previous 2 years, I had become comfortable with my work-from-home lifestyle and felt that looking for another job was somehow admitting that I had failed at running my own business.  For a couple weeks I stewed about it, sulking and complaining to myself and to my husband about all of it.  Finally the day came when I remembered that I was supposed to be taking all my problems to God, so I prayed about it.  Almost immediately I heard that “still, small voice” (which sounded just like me) say that I should go on Craigslist to look for a part-time job.

I was not happy.

In the middle of my office, I started to have an out-loud argument with God. Thankfully, I was home alone.  Here’s how the conversation went down (I put the “God Voice” in italics to emphasize the gentle, loving tone it had, even though I was sounding like a ranting loon):

Me:  I am NOT getting another job!

HP:  But don’t you think getting one would be the responsible thing to do?

Me:  Of COURSE I do!  But once I do that, I will be putting my extra time into something that is leading me AWAY from my goals rather than leading me TOWARDS them!

HP:  But you guys need the money right now.

Me:  Don’t you think I KNOW that?!   But I’ll get stuck!  I KNOW it!  I’ll end up getting a part-time job that I hate, get sucked-into full-time because it’s the “right thing to do,”  and I will hate my life and have no time for me ALL OVER AGAIN!  I am NOT doing it!

HP:  It doesn’t have to be that way.  You can find something that is only part-time, or maybe even temporary.

Me:  I won’t be able to find THAT!  I just KNOW it!

HP:  Just try.

Me:  NO!

HP:  Trust me…

Me:  UGH!  FINE!  But I am only going to look under the ONE category that I want to look at!  That is IT!  I am NOT settling for something I am going to HATE!

HP:  That’s fine.

I flopped into the office chair in front of my computer and banged on the keys until I was on Craigslist.

Me:  Here it is…I am only going to look under this category: “graphic arts.”  And that is IT!  I MEAN it!

HP:  ok.

As most of you probably know, this category of job listings on Craigslist is probably the smallest group on the whole site.  There are usually NO jobs here, and when they do have a listing, it usually requires that you be a current college art student willing to work for nothing, or it is some type of sub-contracting computer graphics position, for which I have absolutely no training whatsoever.  What I was hoping to find was a position for a mural artist, but from my numerous past attempts at this, I knew my prospects were not good.

About half-way down the scant first page of listings was a heading that read something like this:

“Painter wanted for touch-ups in preschool.”

I automatically assumed that they were looking for a mural artist because I was in the graphic arts section, not the construction / maintenance section, so I clicked on it.  This is the gist of what the ad said:

“Seeking property manager to do light patching, painting, and maintenance work at our two childcare facilities, must be able to pass a background check, a drug test, and have experience working with children.  Part-time, as-needed.”

I was shocked.  First of all, why was this ad in this category?  It was clearly not a graphic art position.  Second, what were the odds that a “misplaced” ad would be for a “property manager,” and that I, someone who had just started a property management company, would stumble upon it?  Third, who the heck but ME would have property management experience AND experience working with children (before I got into property management, I had been a preschool teacher for 10 years) AND be available “as needed” AND be able to pass a drug test any time, any where (I am one of those rare birds who has never gotten high or drunk in my life)!!  I just kept staring at the screen.  It was as if this position was created, not only to my exact specifications, but to my exact QUALIFICATIONS!!

“The icing on the cake,” so to speak?   I replied to the email and got a response within a couple of hours saying that I sounded perfect for the job, and then I had an interview a few days later.  I showed the owners, not only photos of my maintenance work, but also ones of my murals and my teaching experience.  Long story short?  I got THREE jobs – count’em – – THREE jobs in 1!  They hired me as the property manager (which has completely flexible hours that work easily around running my business), they had me fill-out all the necessary paperwork to be a substitute assistant teacher, and they said they would keep me in mind for some upcoming murals that they were planning to add to their schools in the future!

“The cherry on top?”  The owners and workers alike are all just SUPER-wonderful, loving, caring people.  I cannot tell you what a blessing they have all been to me.  Even now that I no longer need to work there as a substitute assistant, I am so grateful that they were able to help me through that rough time, and I continue to do maintenance work and art work for them on a regular basis.

Who but God could have orchestrated all this?!  I considerate it to be one of my greatest “proofs” for the existence of a Higher Power working in my life today!!  All I can say is…Thanks, HP!!

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April 1, 2012 This post was written by Categories: The Search For A Higher Power Tagged with: • • • • • •
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