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Finding Security When Leaving a Job
Peter Winterbottom, as seen on www.spirituality.com
siteemail@spirituality.com
Our kids were two and three years old, and my wife and I were just barely
paying our rent and monthly expenses. But my marketing job didn't feel right.
I disagreed with decisions that were made by upper management that affected
the quality of our product and the way I was being asked to work with our
clients.
I really needed the job, but I didn't want it. I asked myself, "What
do I want from a job?" Was I trying to climb some ladder of success,
or was I after power or money? No. What I wanted was to do something I believed
in and where I felt I was making a unique contribution. The more I thought
about what I believed in, the more I knew I had to make a change.
The answer I got was pretty scary.
Whenever I'm faced with a difficult decision, I pray. This time I prayed
like this: "God, I know that you care and provide for me and every
member of my family. I know that you will supply our every need. This isn't
about what I want to do, it's about what you want me to do. I know you'll
give me an answer and I will trust your direction. Thank you for showing
me what is right and giving me the courage to act on it."
The answer I got was pretty scary. But it came to me so strongly that I
had to let go of the job. I had to trust that God would lead me to a great
new job. I had an underlying trust that our whole family could not fall
out of God's care. I knew the divine path is one of progress, and divinely
directed steps aren't dead-ends. I knew God as a good friend, a strong and
trusted friend, always leading toward goodness.
After my wife and I talked it over, we agreed it would be best for me to
leave my job -- even though it felt like we were speeding down a road without
knowing where we were going.
The day I resigned, I learned that it wasn't just me struggling with the
decisions of upper management. When I told my manager why I was leaving,
he laughed a little and showed me his own letter of resignation. It turned
out that a number of employees felt the same way, and we all left at about
the same time. The severance package included being given professional help
in finding a new job and three months of pay.
My severance ended on a Friday. The following Monday I was working at a
new job in a new city, and our family was living in our first house! The
job satisfied my desire for professional growth, as it demanded that I use
new skills. I'm now even more convinced that listening for -- and obeying
-- God's direction is a great way to make career decisions.
used by permission www.spirituality.com