“Your position has been eliminated.”
The words rang in my ear, and to be honest, I am not sure how much I heard after that. Thoughts flooding my brain: What are we going to do now? Like most, we depend on my employment. It takes two incomes to survive.
Layoffs seem to be the norm these days, and the company I was laid off from was notorious for them. Did I think I was safe and that it would never happen to me? Absolutely not, just the opposite. I was always waiting, dreading that call. However, it still hit like a ton of bricks.
At my age, I did not want to have to start over and learn something new, meet new people, and figure out the new boss, including the way they work. Changes after 23 years of being at one company are uncomfortable. I knew the ins and outs. Many things I took for granted in just being there for so long.
With the words, your position has been eliminated, changes are necessary. How well do I manage change? I am usually a ‘roll with the punches’ kind of girl. But I always have at least three plans for fixing something going on in my head. For some reason, this one took me a bit to come up for air and create one. I could not figure out why this was such a struggle for me.
One night, during my time alone, praying, I realized it was something I had not brought to HIM. Once I laid it all for HIM, I felt peace.
Now, this did not stop me from picking it back up and stressing about the situation all over again. I had to decide every day to release it to him. This, in turn, made me more dependent on HIM, and my relationship even better. I know HE is the author of my life, and I must trust the process.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Change is unavoidable, and we all must do it every now and again. We grow from change. If we do not, we are stuck. Plus, it is essential I have a paycheck, right?
What an adventure! To search and apply for a new position is very humbling. You can apply for several jobs and never hear back. Of course, thoughts of not being good enough, etc., are working their way through you. Just when I thought I would never hear back, I received several requests for an interview.
For an introvert, the interview process is excruciating. The questions about yourself make me cringe. You know the ones: “What is a fun fact about you?” or “How do you manage stress?” Let me tell you, they do not want to hear you say, “I scream.” (Just kidding.)
Oh my, then there are the panel interviews that were not fun. It is required to plant on a happy face and sell yourself; now that’s bad when it’s one person you are talking to. I, however, had one interview that was a four-person collection of very different people.
When I started this process, I made a conscious decision not to hide my faith in Jesus. I realize that is a hot topic right now, and you are told not to mention that. However, if they were to hire me, I pray it would be apparent in my attitude and work ethic. Plus, what if, just what if, they were my assignment to hear about Jesus from? I may be the one person who shows them the love of Jesus today.
Finally, I received several offers for new positions. Once I prayed, I made a decision, and what a relief that finally was. I will begin soon, and of course, I am nervous about this. I will accept any prayers. I know HE is in charge, and I will lean into HIM; it is all part of HIS plan, wherever this change may lead.
Missy Burks
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#missyburksblogs
Proverbs 3:5-6 encourage us to:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”