Over twenty years ago I found myself unemployed, praying and looking for a job. I didn’t want just any job. I wanted a government pension-earning position in Virginia similar to my former position in New York. I applied for every available secretarial/assistant position within the local, state and federal government. After numerous interviews and no offers, I began to feel like I was emblazoned with a scarlet letter. I suspected my previous higher salaries might be a drawback since employers could hire someone much younger for less money, but the revolving door of interviews was becoming quite irritating. I couldn’t understand why my prayers hadn’t been answered as my search had gone on for almost two years. In the meantime, I did temp work, and continued to pray.
“Lord, Philippians 4:19 says, ‘my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus,’ and I need a job. So, Father, I know you have the right job for me. Please guide me to it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” On and on the prayers went, and on and on the frustration and bewilderment went. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t offered any of the positions I applied for when I was highly qualified for each one and had stellar references. If I wasn’t so upset, it would have been quite comical. After all, why wouldn’t God give me a job with the government like I wanted?
Then one day I happened to notice the tiniest of help wanted ads in our local newspaper for a legal assistant position at a law firm. The ad read, ‘no legal experience required.’ Hmmmm…. Since Katharine Gibbs School trained us grads for any executive, medical or legal assistant position, I decided to apply. During the interview I learned the position required a person who was highly organized. Bingo! That was me to a tee! I love to organize and keep things that way.
The day of my interview I was hired on a one month’s trial basis. By the second week, I was offered the position permanently. While there, I eventually started and led a prayer group during lunch hour on a bi-weekly basis and prayed with many co-workers during their times of need. I even had several ‘divine appointments’ as I call them, that convince me to this day I was exactly where God wanted me. Eleven years later I left that job for semi-retirement. I made some wonderful friends at that firm who’ve remained friends ever since.
As I think back on that job search, I realized I had only looked in the direction that I wanted to go in. It took two years, and numerous interviews, before I asked God where did he want me to work? After all in Proverbs 3:15 it says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” I’ve learned to go to him sooner rather than later about all things, no matter how big or how small.
Mary Therese Hutchinson 