How To Get a Job Doing Something You Would Do for Free?

Here is how it happened for me:

The job search began.  I quit my very part time job to search for a more steady income to cover the cost of private high school tuition and increased cost of, well, everything for our growing children these days. We asked around. I scoured the internet.

We also recognized our limitations in the search; so we took on a prayer challenge (Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge by MarkBatterson). The book suggested: be specific in our prayer requests and relentless in our pursuit of God as we awaited His answer.

Specific Prayer for a Specific Job

·         Monday through Friday, while my kids are at school.

·         Flexible hours because of family things that arise.

·         Global minded company or organization.

·         Somewhere I could feel like I was contributing to a greater cause (that I actually believed in).

·         Nothing I needed to bring home (because of the hectic family schedule once I get home)

Day 40 came and went. I did not have a job. God provided through an unexpected way for tuition. We waited. We trusted God to answer in His timing. We prayed for another 40 days.

I can’t tell you the exact prayer “day” we were on when the answer came. But it came. And oh how sweet the answer comes when it is so specific, so tailor fit just for you!

 It has been just a little over 2 months now in my new part time position at Feed My Starving Children (Aurora, IL). I am certain this position was designed exactly for me (at this stage in my life); it has exceeded every request I had prayed. Every day I walk in to the building there is a sense of home. Hour after hour I handle hand made market-ware from all over the world. I organize and pack up items that will spread the word of what we are doing: fighting against world hunger (and helping provide jobs for the artisans).  93 cents of every dollar donated goes to this cause. And we pray… on the job! We pray to start the day as a staff. We pray over the boxes being packed up on site by volunteers. We pray over every truck load being shipped out.

How did I end up in a job doing something I would do for free? God. God answered our specific prayers in a specific way.

What About You? He didn’t just answer my prayers. He can answer yours as well. What is on your mind? What specific request is gnawing at you because you can’t seem to “move” the situation? Pray. Not just wimpy, general prayers. Get specific! Say it out loud and wait for God to answer. The book we used was a helpful tool if you want to check it out. But it isn’t about the book. Just pray! God will answer. It may not look like what you thought but I know for certain…God will blow you away!!!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you care about the specific details of our lives. Continue to push us to trust all of our needs in Your care and be willing to wait for what You have, not just what we can figure out on our own. Oh what a privilege it is to receive Your blessings! I am grateful. We praise You for all You have already done and all that You will do! Amen.

(All images from google images search: FMSC)

Adoption: They Didn't Get to Play

They didn’t get to play very much. Maybe they didn’t get to play at all.

When we first brought them home they could not speak a word of English but the language barrier was not the reason why they didn’t “play”.  For so long they were more concerned with scrounging for food and securing a place to sleep at night than they were about toys and games. Having clothing to wear was a higher priority than fun and silliness. They did not have shoes nor did they have a safe haven they could call home. This is part of their early childhood reality that brought them to the place of adoption.

It has been 4 years since they have been in our family. We try to go about life as any other family would: busy, chasing, schedules to keep. Despite how long we have been together, there are still surprising defining moments of overwhelming gratitude. Both of my adopted children struggle immensely at school with academics. My son comes home exhausted every day and as we pull out his homework he asks, “Can I just play?” Maybe he is attempting to avoid his work and is trying to get out of it. But perhaps he is trying to make up for the lost years, regaining the days he was not given the freedom to just be a child.  

He has learned to play. He watched other children and followed their lead. Now he laughs and giggles and loves the opportunity to build. He constructs and creates imaginary places, stories and adventures. He may not recognize it but he is given the pleasure of just being a kid. Although he still has to do his homework, I recognize the privilege as his mom of being able to tell him, “Ok. Now go and play!” 

Oh, what a gift it is. 

Photo: Courtesy of my son's imagination & a passion to wage wars with little green army men.

The Moment Every Mother Dreams About

Chopping tomatoes.

Slicing cucumbers.

Cutting up celery.

Peeling potatoes.

Whipping ingredients with the hand mixer.

In one accord with the radio they each sing along, “…He is Lord, Lord of all.”

The hour of time every mother dreams about. The pinnacle moment of my prayers and hopes for our family all answered in the clatter of the kitchen with my kids. All of the squabbling and teasing fades and the chorus of my children rings out love. They are working together, helping and serving one another; each one of them has something to contribute. They are unaware of the celebration spilling out joy as they pitch in. They are not at odds but working towards a common goal. Hard at work and singing praise songs about the Lord of all, the Lord of our family.

All 5 of my children helped me prepare the items we were in charge of bringing for the Thanksgiving celebration. I did not demand it, nor could I have created the beautiful aroma of our family today. It was a divine blessing in an unexpected hour. 

Today, my cup runneth over with thanksgiving and gratitude.

 My prayer for you: May your heart overflow with grace and appreciation as you see God display His handy work in your life as well. Countless blessings to you and your crew this Thanksgiving! Amen.  

Are Pastors More "Christian" than the Rest of Us?

Are people in the “ministry” more Christian than the rest of us? If we are honest, I bet most of us are on the same lines of thinking: pastors and missionaries are doing God’s work, the sacred work of God. The rest of us who work at regular old jobs, live regular old lives are a little lesser than “sacred”.

One of my favorite subjects to read and study about is “calling”. What are you passionate about and called to do? Then, how to do you get to the point of doing it? I have read numerous books. I have listened to countless sermons on the subject. I have prayed endless prayers and sat through various classes and seminars. I have had many, many discussions and encouraged others to pursue their divine purpose right along with me.

Today I heard a sermon entitled Whatever by Louie Giglio (Passion City Church) that added an incredibly insightful twist on the subject of passion and calling. In my various pursuits to discover a calling and to make an impact on the world, I have never heard it worded quite this way before:

“It is not what you do that determines whether your work is sacred or secular,

 it is why you do it (it is the motive).”

If “whatever” you are doing makes you come alive and your motive is to bring glory to God, than you are living your calling. It is the sacred work God has asked YOU to do! How simple. How invigorating. How easy a load to carry. What a divine difference we can make right where we are at… every single one of us!!

(Maybe you already knew this. But I needed to hear it; I thought it was worth sharing.)

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  Colossians 3:17

What Comes to Mind?

Broken.

Beat down and shattered.

Snatched away and destroyed.

Cut off before completion.

Messed up.

What comes to mind? Something popped in to your memory when you read some of those phrases. You may be curious about the story of my glasses but that wasn't what really came to mind. Pause. What was it? It was near and dear to your heart. Something you had hoped for that didn’t happen. Something you had been dreaming up and have yet to see it come to fruition. Most assuredly there is pain. Disappointment. Unanswered questions. Unfairness.

This is not the end. This is not the final straw. It is not easy, nor is it quick. But there is a possibility of something different. Not by me. Not by you. But by the God and Creator of the universe. Nothing is impossible for Him. Nothing is out of His control.

Will you rest your “mess” in Him today? Trust Him for restoration. Trust Him for healing. Trust Him for hope. The bigger the mess, the more He can re-build. The deeper the pain, the further in to our hearts He can sooth. The tougher the situation, the more He can reveal His glory and power. God loves you and wants to care for you… every part of you!

(Image Source: courtesy of my dog, Cocoa Bean, chewing up my glasses! Oct. 2014)

Adding a Little to Make Big Difference

She had an easy bake oven. We were well on our way to becoming mature and responsible young women. Well, OK maybe not women but at least we could make cookies on our own: chocolate chip cookies. We mixed the butter and the brown & the white sugars together and then hit our first snag already. Vanilla. Pulling the brown bottle with a red label out of the cabinet we realized it was empty. What could we do?

“I don’t know what it does to the cookies but maybe we can substitute something else in its place.”

Rummaging through the cabinet we found another bottle that was the same size, color and shape as the vanilla. It had the same kind of label on it, same red lid and even said “extract” too. As a matter of fact, there was almost no difference between the two bottles except one word: lemon, not vanilla. How could it hurt? Clearly we needed to add something to finish making these cookies; this bottle was just the ticket.

______________________________________________________

At that stage in life we did not know that adding just a few drops of the wrong thing could completely destroy any chance of goodness in the cookies; they were just about the most awful cookies I have ever had. But it is amazing how just a small dose of the right, or wrong, thing can change the outcome of any circumstance. For example, just a tiny trickle of complaining can implode the best of intentions. 

Luckily, the opposite is true as well; just a small amount of “God” in any situation can change lemons in to vanilla. All we have to do is invite Him; we can count on God to allow good to come out of anything, faithfully working for our best interest every time.

^“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Image Source: Google images http://www.thelittlekitchen.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/lemon-blueberry-mini-cheesecakes-the-little-kitchen-8394.jpg

Adoption: I Don't Remember the First Moment I loved Him

I don’t remember the first moment I loved him.

I do remember the first day we got him, in Ethiopia. He refused to sleep. Like babysitting a child we had met for the first time, we did not know what would work. Pulling out our bag of tricks we did all that we could think of to get him to sleep: snuggling, rocking him, letting him sleep next to his sister, ignoring his wandering and just leading him back to the bed. Nothing worked. Exhausted and hidden behind a language barrier, we finally called the adoption director.  She suggested a pack and play. An enclosed space. A cocoon of security and he finally fell asleep.

He did not always understand us.

He did not always want to listen.

He did not want to wear shoes or stay out of the busy street.

He loved running in parking lots and examining every car or truck.

He had a charming smile and a contagious giggle that mirrored the sweet joy in his heart.

For every adoption story, there is a moment we begin to truly love our child. For many, it is the first moment they meet. But not for all of us. I don’t remember the first moment I loved him. He had a bounding energy and a creative mind that far exceeded the capacity of his tiny little body. What were we to do with him? How would we ever find a “voice” in his life to coral his zest just enough to keep him safe but still let him be who he is?

More than four years later, I still find myself asking a few of these same questions. He never stops moving or jabbering or questioning. He is always curious. He does not always understand the risks and dangers. But he does know my voice. He has taken up a residence in my heart that was created only for him. I realize I don’t need to remember the first moment I loved him because when I look in to his eyes, I know I love him now. When I hold him in my arms, I know I have loved him for so long. He is my son and I know I will forever love him, more than my outward expressions can ever begin to describe.

(Totally awesome photo by my totally awesome cousin Bridget Clauson-Michau, http://bridgetsphoto.com/)