For the last few weeks I’ll admit I’ve been feeling pretty down. After having lost my job back in August due to a layoff, and the company my wife worked for went out of business a little over a year ago, things as they were before my layoff were tight.

Having been involved in web design since the “pioneer days” of the early 90’s, plus having had a background previously in animation, multimedia development, and video production and even some experience in video game production, I thought it would be a very short period from the layoff to a soft landing in a new job. Not to mention I thought I was trusting God completely this time vs. a layoff I had 9 years ago that nearly lasted a year.

Since then, I’ve learned to become more faithful to Him, and trust that He has something great in store for me. When you have your friends, family and own wife speaking this, and that they feel He’s going to open a number of doors for me, then one’s spirit is raised, we bring on a very positive attitude, and feel almost invincible…ahhh. Yes, and there’s the problem.

God doesn’t want us to feel invincible. Why? Because we are not. He is. We aren’t. He wants us to need Him. That’s why He made us. Yes, He wants us to experience joy (note: He doesn’t promise us happiness though). And He wants us to have a servant’s heart, plus the attitude of honoring Him in whatever job He blesses us with.

Yes, I know He’ll bless me with the opportunity of a few doors opening which each one, no matter which I choose,  I can bless Him back with. He wants us to succeed and prosper (Jeremiah 29:11). But being human, we start to worry, esp. when weeks become months. I’m learning that the perfect job for me, that He wants to bless me with so I can bless Him, doesn’t happen in the snap of a finger (though that would be nice).

He has to prepare it, move people around, give them new jobs, relocate them, make sure they’re taken care of too in order to make room for me to come into that new job. Our Pastor (Miles McPherson of the Rock Church in San Diego — awesome Pastor…) is constantly telling us that God has a specific plan and purpose for each of us. I know that, but wish He’d hurry up already. But what can seem like a long time for me is indeed hurrying up for Him.

So,  first off if my last couple posts came across negative, I humbly apologize. I know the market is tough, there are only so many jobs, and recruiters have a very tough time wading through the hundreds if not thousands of resumés coming in their doors. I believe LinkedIn has the possibility of being a good tool, and I hope that as I apply for the jobs I can see myself in, they will look at my profile and recommendations from past employers and colleagues.

But what I want and desire in a job may not be what the Lord wants and desires for me, and I’m okay with that. Because He knows me far better than I could ever hope to know myself. I just ask and desire to serve Him however He wants to use me next.

Hopefully this post will encourage any of you who are finding tough times right now, aren’t getting the jobs you want, or are feeling like you can’t provide the way you want to. I know. I’ve been there, and God blessed me with an awesome job for the past 8 years. But now He needs me somewhere else (and maybe not even here in sunny San Diego…), and I know it’s going to be more awesome than my last job.

“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.”  Amen to that.

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