I originally wrote this blog post
on Wednesday. Due to unforeseen circumstances on Thursday and Friday a rewrite
was in order. You see I was interviewing with two fantastic companies. I had
great phone screens, passed the writing and skills-based tests, and moved on to
in person interviews with both companies. I did my homework. I could tell you
the name of their CEO, the school the people interviewing me went to, what the
job entailed. I knew my resume backwards and forwards. But it wasn’t enough. My
journey with each company ended. One company was very complimentary and just
said that my skill set would be of better use in another department and invited
me to reapply next month. The other company…well let’s just say the buffoon man who interviewed me has clearly never
met anyone from the south and if he thinks I sound funny…he should hear
himself talk. Enough of that…but really ignore what you read on linkedin, etc.
there is NO WAY to know what to expect in interviews, other than “So tell me
about yourself?” So make sure you know that.
It’s humiliating to come so close.
I must say I was excited with the idea of going to visit my hometown next week
with the news of having a job under my belt (knowing that the question would
come and it’s a fair question.)
As women I feel like there’s something we’re always beating
ourselves up about. We live in a world
of comparing ourselves to others. We need to be doing more around the
house, cooking at home more often, spending more time with our kids, less time
at work, etc. Whatever happened to just doing the best we can? I’ll
tell you what happened to that. Competition and comparison. It seems like life
has become an event of “who can do it better”. My goodness!
A few days ago I shared a post on
Facebook about feeling discouraged after a job opportunity didn’t work out. Two
women, whom I greatly admire from my home church, took time to write me
messages, sharing their stories of starting out in the world as young career
women. It was such an encouragement to hear from other women who say they’re praying
for me and who have walked the same journey. So often in life we only want to share the good going on. We
shield the pain we’ve been through. The hurt, the humiliation, the defeat. But boy,
can God use that! He can use our struggles to reach others, just like the stuggles of those women helped to inspire me. Just like I am (hopefully) doing with this blog post.
Rejection and disappointment is a
part of life. We all know that. However,
as is the case in the following story….God’s timing is everything and he uses
all things for good!
A
few years ago, three and half to be exact, I met a guy. We had been friends for a little while
and I wanted us to be more than friends. So I asked him to have coffee thinking
that we might hit it off. Even if nothing came of it at least I put myself out
there and wouldn’t wonder “what if”.
He said yes, we had coffee and we spent nearly four hours chatting about
our lives, movies and current events. I was smitten and just knew I had found a
special guy. Well, the very next day, he hopped on a plane to fly across the
country and I didn’t hear from him for nearly eight months. Rejection at its
finest.
Jerk.
Fast
forward to present day. The jerk actually
goes by another name now. My HUSBAND. It’s a pretty crazy story how we ended up
together. A story that only God could have crafted. One that has His
fingerprints all over it. In fact we came together in the summer of ’10 because
of jobs. Chris’ internship at Pixar was not renewed and I was working as an
intern at church having not gotten the internship the previous year. We both had some disappointing experiences with jobs but everything worked out. Yes, God’s
timing is perfect.
My dad always says “God can see
around corners.” I have no idea
what God has in store for me in the coming months and years. I believe whole
heartedly what it says in scripture that God will never leave us or forsake
us in our journeys.
Three years ago in that Starbucks
on Eastman Road I never could have imagined that I would be married to the tall
handsome man sitting across the table from me. I can’t even begin to fathom the
journey that God with lead both Chris and I on in the next few years but I know it will be something beyond my wildest dreams.
So while at the moment I may feel
defeated and rejected…I know that I’m close to a wonderful beginning with a job
and career that God has already selected for me and it’s because of the miracles
and actions that God has continuously provided to me in the past (my wonderful
husband, those godly women, and my salvation) that I know the best things are
yet to come!
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may
have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world."
John 16:33
