I make a conscious effort to share all of my Christian life experiences with you through this blog without exaggerating the blessings or sugar coating the struggles. I want seekers and new believers to know what they can expect as a child of God and I want to let more mature Christians know they are not alone in their experiences walking with our Lord. This post describes the unexpected situations in which we sometimes find ourselves.
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I didn’t sign up for this”? There are times in life when our experience is very different from our expectations. Every veteran I know could identify with that as they remember their first week of basic training or the first few days of their first deployment. Others might remember surprises they encountered beginning their first full time job. Whether it is a job, a calling or even a relationship; we find ourselves in situations we never expected.
Imagine how David felt hiding in a cave from King Saul with a few hundred misfits. He vowed to serve the Lord while tending his father’s flock as a boy; Samuel had anointed him with oil as a future king; God helped him slay Goliath; as a hero he served in Saul’s court; but now the jealous king was trying to kill him. This was not what he envisioned when he vowed to serve the Lord. He called out to God and his situation began to change for the better.
When I got out of the Air Force, I took a job as a service dispatcher at a coffee company in St. Louis. After five years, I was offered a new service route out of Burlington, Iowa, with an increase in pay. After praying about it, my wife and I decided to make the move to a rented house in Burlington. Because the route was just starting out, it was spread over a large territory with one of my largest customers, a truck stop, that was one hundred miles from my home. I had to spend two nights a week away from home. One evening after dinner I went back to my motel room, called my wife then prayed; pouring out my heart to God that this was not the life I expected or wanted. One of my customers was the small Christian food service company at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. When I stopped there the next day, the owner told me he had gotten the contracts for two colleges in the Chicago area and he offered me a job as food service director at one of them. He would train me and pay for our move. My wife and I jumped at the opportunity and our situation changed for the better. We bought a home and began to put down roots.
When you find yourself in a situation that is not what you counted on, the first thing to do is take it to the Lord. It might be that you made a wrong turn somewhere along the line, but most of the time God will show you that it is just a temporary transition needed to get you to where He wants you to be. Even through uncomfortable situations, God will take you to your next level of service and your true calling; sharing your gift with others.