Leap of Faith

I finished my bachelor’s degree in the mid-90s, while still on active duty in the US Air Force. (It should probably be noted that my journey into higher learning began 15 years earlier, but that’s a story for another blog.) As I neared completion of the degree program, it seemed appropriate to explore options around putting my new-found knowledge to use in the civilian world. It soon became clear that before I would be considered for any of the roles I was interested in, I would first have to separate from active-duty military service. 

While easier said than done, after some thoughtful consideration, I took a leap of faith, so to speak, and requested an early separation. The Air Force was in a downsizing mode and granted my request much easier than I had initially expected. Less than a month later, I was reclassified as “former military,” which, in civilian terms, simply means unemployed.

I wasn’t worried about finding a job, however, as I felt confident that the organizations who hadn’t previously been interested would quickly change their tune now that I was a civilian and readily available. Sadly, I was wrong. The companies, with whom I had taken this “leap of faith,” were no longer hiring. 

Oops.

While frustrated, I carried no ill will toward those who intimated the necessity of my separation from military life. Nothing had actually been promised, after all. No, it wasn’t about placing looking back or placing blame. The real question was “what do I do now?”

I needed to start a job search, except, I had no idea how. I’d been in the Air Force for more than 12 years and had worked only local jobs before that. Conducting a systematic search for a job – one that would lead into my next career was a completely foreign experience to me. 

But I wasn’t without resources. I knew someone who could help. 

“God, I don’t know what I’m doing. Please put me where you want me. I’ll do the leg work, but please guide my path.”

Saying this prayer, not once, but continuously, made all the difference. He put the right people in my path. He opened the right doors (and windows), and He closed the ones that were not right for me.

One of the people He put in my path was one of my college professors. In addition to being an outstanding teacher, she also became a great friend. During my final semester, she joined my job search, reaching out to her many contacts, and scouring all of the job listing resources she knew of. One day she brought me a double-blind want ad from the local newspaper (back when those were still a thing) for a graphic designer. It was very plain and straightforward:

Graphic designer wanted. Send resume and samples in care of: <Newspaper’s name & address>

With her help, I selected a couple of my strongest design samples and sent them in, along with my resume. Not knowing what to expect, or how long it might be before I would hear anything, I went on with the task of looking at any other potential opportunities, as well. I soon forgot about the graphic designer job and landed a role as an instructor, teaching software basics to corporate employees (i.e., Excel, Word, etc.). 

While I now had a job, the whole thing never really felt right, even from the initial interview. I started work for them the next morning, and all throughout the day, my spirit kept telling me this was not where I belonged.

But I needed the job. I had been unemployed for a while. I was married, had a mortgage and other bills, and they were beginning to pile up. And now God had provided me with a job that would meet my needs ... or had He? Did it matter if it didn’t “feel” right. That’s why it’s called work. If it was supposed to be fun, it would be called something else. 

“Just deal with it and pay your bills,” I told myself. “Take care of your responsibilities.”

That was my internal struggle. And I get the fact that work isn’t always supposed to be fun and games. But I also believe that if you’ve opened yourself to God’s will for your life, the Holy Spirit will guide you and will let you know when you’re heading off-track, even when it seems like it’s the only path available to you. 

I went home from that first day of work more confused than ever. Unsure of what to do next, I prayed.

“God, I don’t know what I’m doing. Please put me where you want me. Please guide my path.”

Shortly after I got home, the phone rang. It was the HR department from the company who had placed the double-blind ad for the graphic designer several weeks earlier. They wanted me to come in for an interview. 

The smart thing to do would have been to continue on with the instructor job, while pursuing this new opportunity. Right? But part of praying is listening for God’s answer, and it couldn’t have been clearer what the Holy Spirit was telling me. God was telling me that it wouldn’t be fair to continue in the instructor job, using that employer, knowing that I would be moving on as soon as possible.

I accepted the interview. Then I called and resigned my instructor position so it could be filled with a more appropriate candidate. It was a difficult decision, but I knew immediately that it was the right thing to do. It took another two months before I began working again, but that double-blind graphic design want ad led to a 20-plus year career in the oil and gas business, which, in turn has led to even better things since.

God is good … no wait, God is Great!

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” 1 John 5:14 NASB