It was just an average Monday morning in May as I arrived at work. As the company’s longest serving employee, I had crossed the threshold hundreds of times over the nine years I worked there. As a result, everything felt comfortable. The week prior, the boss had been on vacation, so there was no inkling that something life-changing was about to take place.

Lost on Monday

Just as I reached my desk, my boss asked if we could talk upstairs for a minute. I followed her up a flight of stairs to a sunroom she often used as a sanctuary from her daily routine. Once we were both seated, she turned to face me, then calmly began to speak.

“I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for us the past nine years. We really couldn’t have done it without you. But we can no longer afford to pay you anymore, so we are letting you go, effective immediately.”

I sat frozen, not believing this was really happening. In that very moment, I became the stereotypical middle-aged woman who had lost her job, her income and her dignity, all in about four minutes. And it was only Monday.

As I drove myself home, I asked God to get me there safely because my mind was everywhere but on the road. I felt blindsided, numb, angry, hurt, scared, underappreciated, disposable and, most of all, lost.

Trust and Follow

After a few days of grieving, I began to turn my thoughts toward the future. For years, I had questioned God’s purpose for my life.

I believed that everyone was created for a reason, and I desperately wanted to know my purpose, and how it could serve to bring glory to God.

I decided this blip on my resumé was an opportunity to seek God’s purpose for my life.

After recruiting some wonderful friends and acquaintances to pray on my behalf, I intentionally spent a few weeks with God. When I sought Him wholeheartedly, He showed up in big ways.

Slowly, and gently, He began to reveal His plan for me, but the clearer God’s voice became, the more I began to fear what He was asking me to do.

I had never considered that God might ask me to do something I did not feel qualified to do. As I continued to question His plan, I tried for once in my life to give up control, deciding instead to just trust and follow.

Listening and Obeying

Eventually, it was clear that God was asking me to write for the purpose of encouraging Christian women in their faith. After a lot of research, I decided to create a space on Substack where I would write to fulfil His plan for me.

I named my newsletter “Plans Far Greater” because God’s plans for me are always far greater than the plans I have for myself.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

This verse reminds me that even when I don’t feel qualified, God can still work through me. I just need to listen and be obedient to His calling.

Divine Intervention

Many days I still feel inadequate, but I commit each article to the Lord, and I trust that it will not be my words I am writing, but God speaking through me. Only He knows in advance who will be reading each post, when, and what they may need to hear at that moment.

Looking back, my job loss was difficult, but I know that I would never have intentionally walked away from a paycheque in search of God’s purpose for my life, so I am thankful that God intervened on my behalf.

For the first time ever, I feel like I am doing exactly what God wants me to do—and it feels great!

This story is from: