About 3 weeks ago I quit my job, which if I'm honest isn't anything new. The longest job I've held has been this last one for 2 1/3 years and I've had 14 jobs since I started working 10 years ago. Granted all but 3 have been seasonal and/or part time, but that's not really the point. This isn't even the first job I've quit without having a new job lined up. It is, however, the first time I have decided to leave because I was commanded to.
Let me back up. I love nature and I love to educate people about nature. I've worked at zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and a national park. I also love God and I love to share with others what He has done in my life. Up to this point though, I wasn't supposed to share my faith or point out God in my jobs, which unfortunately in this day and age is pretty normal. That never stopped me from sharing Christ with co-workers really, but at some point you start wondering if you're going to get sacked because you aren't following the rules. So, at the beginning of this year, I found myself praying 2 things - 1.) that God would show me how I could have a job where I can share Him with people THROUGH His creation, and 2.) that I would have faith like Corrie ten Boom. If you don't know who she is, stop reading right now and look her up. She's awesome. :)
About 6 months ago I was sent information about GoCorps. I'm not exactly a recent graduate, but I'm in my mid ok, late, 28s without a mortgage, family, etc., so that works right? So, I looked into it. There was a position in London available to someone with an environmental background (check) who desired to restore a green space (check) and who wanted to share Christ with people through the restoration of this property (check, check, check).
So I sent out for information but shortly after that the posting got taken down. I was called a couple of times, asked if I wanted to look into other ministry opportunities or whatnot but my answer was no. It's not that I couldn't have done something else, it was that I just didn't think that I was supposed to be doing those other ministries. It wasn't right. Then around 4 months ago, they called me again and told me to go ahead and apply, that I was one of a few people interested in the position. They made sure to tell me that I didn't have the position outright since there were other applicants, but I think early on I knew what would come.
Then I applied...for real. And had interview after interview with really nice people: a couple with GoCorps and a couple with International Teams, then finally the team leader who is in London. This summer I was able to visit, which worked out perfectly because I was already going back to Ireland for a missions trip during the summer, and had planned to stay an extra week. It was like it was designed this way. Hmmmm....
So I visited. And I freaked out. I've been to London once before and it was great. I saw the London Tower, the Kew Gardens, the London Zoo, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and of course the changing of the guard. But that wasn't the London I visited this time. The London I visited is what people call Little India. I don't think I've ever seen so many people walk out in front of moving vehicles in my life. You go no where fast and even if you can creep along, you're playing chicken with the cars up the road because there are so many vehicles lining both sides of the streets and you just pray that the other person has the decency to let you through before they trap you in. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed and strongly began to rethink my decision to apply.
So, when I got home in late July I began to pray. I prayed and prayed and asked God what He desired. What He wanted. I asked Him to show me and to speak to me. And at first, this is what He said.
"......................................................................................................................................................"
He said nothing. But, as it turns out, He didn't have to start by saying a whole lot at all. As I began to seek Him more fervently about this opportunity, His peace began to settle on me about it. My anxiety was lifted when I thought about moving; I started to become excited about the potential for the community and this property. 90% of the people living in this community are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh - seriously great opportunities to reach people for His kingdom. Most of them are immigrants and they have families in other countries still - MORE great opportunities to reach people for His kingdom. I'd get to actually help restore land and educate the community on environmental issues. He began to push all the fears and concerns out of the way so that I was left again with excitement and desire to serve Him there.
One day as I was reading my Bible, I asked the Lord to tell me something to confirm what I believed He was telling me. This is what He said,
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Wow...I knew what I needed to do; in my heart I knew I would be leaving. God was calling me to something greater. When He commanded me to quit my job, He wasn't just commanding me to leave my job or to move from the states to London. He was commanding me to leave behind the comfortable, the easy, and the known and follow Him directly into the uncomfortable, the difficult, and the unknown. He was commanding me to leave behind the false promises of comfort and security I wanted to believe that my current situation could provide and instead to TRUST HIM alone.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." Jeremiah 17:7
And so I did - I have been fully in the employ of God for 6 days now. This journey isn't going to be easy and it's not going to make sense at times, not even to me I'm sure, but I thank the Lord it will make sense to Him.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
I don't know what the future holds, but I do know this - God is faithful and He is over whatever may come. And that's all I need to know.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD... Jeremiah 29:11-14a