Guest Blogger Wednesday :) When I picked the kids up from school yesterday, one of my children entered the car with a heavy heart because he had not been chosen for something he had applied for. I, as any dutiful mother, began to share with him about the times I ran for offices in high school and lost or applied for jobs that I did not get. Looking back on these disappointments, I can see God’s hand at work with such clarity. When I first moved to Chicago after college, I was frustrated and tired of the job search… I could just not seem to attain employment in an area that matched my qualifications, interests and talents. I had a great time in the Windy City that year, but I certainly was not making any noble contribution to mankind other than financially supporting the local pubs. Finally, I realized that I wanted to go into education which meant returning to the world of academia since I did not have a degree in this field. I came back to my home town and received my teaching certificate and Masters in Education. It was such a great feeling to finally be doing what I loved … And to be compensated for it! In hindsight I can see that I had to go through that year of rejection and frustration to help me realize what I really wanted to do. Again, when my husband and I were first engaged, we thought we wanted to move to Steubenville so he could finish his education. I was willing to take any stinking job I could get that would put some money on the table, but I was rejected time and again. This was humbling for me as I felt like a fairly qualified individual with good grades and a decent interview style. After a third failed attempt at what I thought was a sure thing, I remember looking out of my parents’ kitchen window and seeing a mouse at the bottom of their empty pool (it was spring and they were preparing to fill it). The mouse was trying to climb up the side to no avail. I thought to myself…”the poor thing should just turn around and go up the steps that are behind him. He’s going in the wrong direction!” Silly as this may sound, God used this moment to open my eyes. It was like a light bulb went off. I realized at that very moment that maybe Jim and I were going in the wrong direction … maybe we were not meant to be in Steubenville at all. I shared my thoughts with Jim and we decided to try a different route. Within a week, I was sitting at a job interview in Akron and was offered the position soon after. God had to allow these challenging situations so that we would get on the right path. It is very hard to see this when we are in the midst of the struggle. And it does not necessarily make the sting of rejection any easier to take. I still get teary eyed for my “babies” when they are sad or disappointed even though I know that there is a purpose for everything. I would rather go through the pain myself than watch my loved ones suffer. But if we truly believe that heaven is the only goal that really matters, and that our road to heaven is laden with struggles, than we should be comforted on the journey when we encounter obstacles. I am sure you have all heard the saying “when God closes a door, He always opens a window” (any Sound of Music lovers out there?) These closed doors can seem like monumental hurdles to get through if we just stay focused on one direction. There might be an open window just waiting for us to climb through it, but we can only find that open window if we stop trying to break the door down and start looking in other directions. LIVE IT: Let’s take some time to think about our lives and if there is any redirecting we might need to do.
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