The Gift of Time, Pursuit of Purpose – An Update on My Journey

Guest Blogger: Tracey Amos a Modern Age Mom in Transition

I appreciate this opportunity to once again share Leslie’s space and my voice.

The seeds of this update message have been germinating for a couple of months now.  What I wanted to say all came together in my head on the heels of the sermon preached by my pastor, Reverend David Allan Watts, on the first Sunday of the New Year. Here are some of the key points he made:

• Appreciate God for what He’s already done
• Because you were made for a reason, your life has to be lived “on purpose”
• Because God is your Father, there is nothing that you can’t do
• We were created to glorify and worship God
• Tomorrow is not promised

I shared with you last May that I had been displaced from my executive level job at the outset of 2009. I also shared my intent to embrace my transition as a precious gift of time, bills and financial obligations notwithstanding.  I committed to myself that the next chapter of my life was going to be about me living “on purpose”, in pursuit of things that I felt passionate about.

As I reflected on my Pastor’s sermon, I was filled with the overwhelming sense of awe at the wonder of God and how He has blessed me so richly.  I marinated on the words, “Appreciate God for what He’s already done!”  Truth be told, it was because of what He had already done in my life that I entered 2010 still unemployed but grateful for the learning, lessons, opportunities and growth of 2009. I also entered even stronger in my faith and belief that He has ordained and is ordering the steps of my life.

Keeping it real, it has been a difficult year financially. My family has had to make tough choices about almost every aspect of our lives.  Through stringent budgeting and monitoring, I have become acutely aware of the many things we took for granted with respect to our spending habits. We’ve had to engage our kids in discussions of our employment and financial situation in a manner that they could comprehend yet not panic or get overly anxious about. They have been real troopers and more aware and appreciative of the sacrifices made to ensure that they could continue to participate in some (not all) of their extracurricular activities.

I have also experienced disappointments and setbacks in my search efforts. While I have been fortunate to interview and make it to the finalist rounds for several opportunities, I hadn’t yet received a new job offer when I penned this blog in mid-January. I continue to be amazed at my resiliency in the face of disappointment. I can only attribute it to my continued spiritual growth.

I shared in May my fundamental belief that each facet of life is part of a larger journey and that I am where the Lord would have me to be at this moment. But I am only human, and in my moments of self doubt and despair, I have to dig deep to draw on my faith to remind myself “who” I am and most importantly, “whose” I am.

One final note, how true the words that “tomorrow is not promised” ring today. I may be unemployed, but I am alive! I have an obligation to make each day matter more than the day before it.

Postscript:

I just received and accepted a job offer with a company that I began exploring in October 2009. The next phase of my career life journey will begin in early March.  To those still in the midst of their journey, know that you are not alone. Continue to walk by faith. As Dr. Myles Monroe wrote in his Kingdom Quotes on February 1,

“Crisis places demands on your hidden potential and reveals your true beliefs and convictions. As a matter of fact, crisis tests your faith. God desires that we hold steady during seasons of difficulty.”

Be blessed and keep the faith!