SPAM in Parenthesis (Part Two)
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matt 6:31-34 (ESV)
What do I know about selling insurance? The answer is an easy one for me. I know absolutely nothing about it and I couldn’t figure out why I was getting job offers to become an insurance agent. I did look up one of those companies and they didn’t sound like they were too sound with their reputation judging by the harsh words written in the review column. So what was I going to do about my job search? My wife would encourage me to keep my head up but I had some folks that thought their “Pull yourself up by your boot straps Mister and walk” was the battle cry I needed. Well it wasn’t and I moved from discouragement into anger and frustration.
But I kept looking anyway. I have teenage children that needed me not to give up on this and I wasn’t going to let them watch me just quit. So I tried a different approach…I went back to the New Jersey One-stop and asked for their help. And this was a handy ace in the hole…having a wife that just happens to works there. She was able to connect me with the kind of folks that stay in the know on how to find a job, some of them are Christians. I was given an interview opportunity with a program that, unfortunately, had been cut out of the State budget right after my interview. But I kept at it.
I had put a resume online on the CareerBuilder website and applied for something that said “Production Supervisor.” In the meantime I set up an appointment to rewrite my resume with the One-Stop. The day before that appointment I had been looking through my e-mails when I was prompted to open my SPAM folder. I usually just hit delete button because it is full of stuff I don’t want to read. So I clicked on it and I saw an e-mail titled “Interview” and was once again prompted to open it. It was a simple message with two phone numbers and if I was interested to call. So I did…long story, short, I got a job. But God doesn’t just end it there, oh no!!
The day after my last interview with my new employer I received a text from my wife. She is telling me that as she is doing her Bible study from Max Lucado’s new book “Fearless” she has run into her life verse. She gives me the address and it is from the Matthew, chapter six, at verses 31-34 and then tells me that during our dark times, before I went into the Colony of Mercy, she would lean heavy on these verses. Well I texted back to her that this is conformation on what has just happened to me that had started back when Pastor Tony Cuellar told me that, “The Lord has given you a parenthesis.” Then I went back in my Freedom Fighter files to see what I had written when this journey first began. It sure sounded like I was able to take it on the chin at first but as time went on I didn’t do too good, BUT HE DID NOT FAIL ME!!
I guess I had my moments where it seemed as if I wasn’t doing the right things but as my wife told me I kept doing what God wanted me to do. I am not too sure how this job will go but I am quite certain that is of God and not of anything I could have done on my own. I had to surrender my efforts over to the people that God put in my path and deal with some things that I just don’t normally do. The lesson I have learned out of this whole experience is that God’s promises work better when you have surrendered yourself over to His will no matter where you are along your path. I wonder how many of us would open our SPAM folder if the Holy Spirit prompted us to so? If you have done so then AMEN but if you haven’t and you are in a parenthesis moment in your life why not try the SPAM folder…it’s just not for dinner anymore. – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular contributor to Freedom Fighter
Compass Pointers: God is not an elusive dream or a phantom to chase, but a divine person to know. He does not avoid us, but seeks us. When we seek Him, the contact is instantaneous. Neva Coyle
Anchored to the Rock: God expects us to be orderly. He expects us to manage our time, to discipline ourselves, to prepare well-planned programs, but if we could learn to pray first and plan afterward, how different would be our homes, our churches, our Bible studies, whatever we are doing for Christ. Evelyn Christenson
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