This Guest post is written by Jayne Thurber-Smith.
Jayne is an award-winning writer for various publications including Faith & Friends, Floral Business magazine and The Citizen of Chesapeake newspaper, and is also a sports contributor to cbn.com.
She and her husband’s favorite activity is being included in whatever their four adult children have going on.
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I was completely burned out from working at a busy call center. I was trying to help my four children get through college but I wished I could find something I enjoyed a little more. I simply did not have the patience for the irate and often unreasonable customer service calls I handled, sometimes one hundred per day.
So when a position opened up in the marketing department next door, I put in for it. I was thrilled when I received a call for an interview with Human Resources and doubly thrilled to get called for a second interview with the actual department heads. I thought we all hit it off.
But that’s where it ended.
After two weeks of anticipation I stopped in to see HR and asked if I was still in consideration. I was politely told no. It had come down to me and someone with a Master’s degree and guess who got it? Impossible. I had been so sure it was mine. Why was someone with a Master’s degree interviewing for jobs that did not require it? Why were they not applying for jobs that required a Master’s degree?
As I returned to my cubicle, deflated, I couldn’t hide my tears. My supervisor, thank God, was a loving, kind Christian and he knew I was up for the job. He could tell by looking at me what the answer was.
He took me aside and said softly “I don’t know if this was Ishmael, but I know God has Isaac.” He immediately brought to mind the Bible story of Abraham trying to rush God by having a baby with his servant Hagar, before his wife Sarah bore him a son as had been promised.
That was completely the coaching I needed to strengthen my resolve. I knew God promised in 2 Samuel 22:31 that His ways are perfect. I knew there was a job more suited for me somewhere and so did my supervisor. I shook off the self-pity and kept job hunting.
Within two months I got a response to an application I put in for a job closer to my home, perfect for me in every way. This time I landed it. I’ve been there for two years now and every day I pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I now have my “Isaac,” which I wouldn’t have kept looking for had I merely settled for “Ishmael.”
Have you seen God close one door only to open another? Let me know your stories in the comment section below!
I have only seen God close all doors before me and never kept any open or never sustained any open doors open.