I just want to personal take a moment and testify to the goodness and faithfulness of God. It was a little over a year ago when I learned that my father's job was transferring to Richmond, VA. Such really shook my personal world. I simply could not imagine leaving the area I had called home for over twenty years. My life is grounded here in the greater Charlotte metro region. Here I have friends, family, church, and most importantly, my fiance. In spite of having Associates and Bachelors degrees, in addition to a Paralegal certificate, I was only working a small part-time job at a local Target store. I found myself suddenly faced with a horrible circumstance: being unable to provide for myself, I might have to leave all of this behind in order to move to Richmond with my parents.
I simply knew this could not be the will of God for my life. I simply knew that I could not go with my parents to Richmond, VA. Yet, I was faced with the horrible reality that said I would be going. After all, I only had a part-time job at Target, and was in no place financially to move out on my own. Nor did it look like I would be, as the job market in Charlotte was (and is) extremely unfavorable to people looking for entry-level work. I had already been to a number of job interviews and temp agencies looking for full-time work, but to no avail. Then to further make matters worse, my father was selected early on by his employer in their entire relocation plan to move to Richmond. Things were not looking promising to me.
When I requested prayer in church one night over the situation, my pastor responded such would take nothing less than faith in order to stay. I knew he was right. Assured this was not the will of God for me to be moving to Richmond, I simply believed God would do whatever He needed to do in order to keep me here. Within a few months, I found full-time employment working as support staff in a major international law firm. While the pay is decent, it was still not good enough for me to make it on my own. Rent in the Charlotte area is generally on the high side. I would need something more. Then within a few months, the Lord finally opened another door for me to work a part-time evening job doing data-entry for a trucking company, to help make ends meet.
I've received some criticism from people for taking the two jobs that I have, and working 60 hours a week. It is not necessary to name names or say the nature of their complaints. All that matters is that God has been good, and that God has been faithful to me. For I believe these things are ultimately of the Lord. For as of this past weekend, I was finally able to move out into a wonderful apartment within just a few miles of my previous home!
The timing hasn't been exactly as I would have had things. But, such ultimately is of no matter. For Hebrews says that it is by patience and endurance that we inherit the promises of God. I'm sure Abraham would've rather had the child of promise when he was in his prime. But God had other plans for Abraham. He brought Abraham through much dying before Isaac would be born. He brought him to a state of ultimate barrenness. Death and hopelessness always precedes life and resurrection in the ways of God. He does such so that we will not be confident in ourselves and our own abilities. Rather, He does such so that the excellencies of what is worked through us may be shown to be of Him.