I don't believe in coincidences. I believe God directs our footsteps and guides us down the path He wishes for us to take. Sometimes we are in tune with His leading and things run smoothly. Other times (more often, in my case, I'm embarrassed to say), He has to do something to get our attention when we start moving in our own direction.
Life was sailing along smoothly for me last year when suddenly I was downsized - a victim of a merger between two giant companies, one of which I had given the sweat of my brow for more than a decade. Okay, Lord, I'm listening ...
Not so coincidentally, more than a decade earlier, just as I was starting that job, I suffered through the greatest trial of my life when my husband of 23 years decided he no longer wanted to be married. Our kids had graduated from high school and gone off to college and I thought we would settle in and enjoy being empty nesters, but he had other ideas. Almost as soon as the words "I want a divorce" were out of his mouth, he seemed to change his mind - saying he wasn't sure what he wanted and needed "space" and so we started a life of living under the same roof and interacting on a daily basis without living as husband and wife. Oh, how I hated that. While he sat on the fence, I sat in what I still refer to as my "prayer chair" and I took my problems the only place I knew to take them - to God.
From the beginning, I sensed that He would use what I was going through to help others, but I had no idea how. I just knew I needed to document what I was feeling and thinking and doing, so I started a journal that today fills an entire banker's box.
Time does heal and life went on. The banker's box went into the proverbial basement of my life where it sat until I lost my job and once again had way too much time on my hands.
I prayed about what to do and felt led to get the journal out and turn it into something God could use to help others. I'd like to say I wrote a book, but the truth is that He wrote it. In less than a week I had a prologue, an epilogue and seven chapters written and a lengthy list of resources to include at the end. I called upon a group of friends and spiritual advisors and asked them to review it and give me feedback. I put out a few feelers to see if I could get it published, but I ran into some pretty significant roadblocks before I found another job and put it on the back burner.
God waited patiently for me to listen to Him, and eventually He reached out to get my attention and once again I find myself in the ranks of the unemployed.
Meanwhile, I have been reconnecting with old friends. By that I don't mean that they're OLD ... just that I haven't seen them for a long time. I have sent copies of my book to several of them and gotten still more feedback. Everyone seems to agree that there are people who need what's in those pages. No one really agrees on how to get it into the hands of those who need it.
So yesterday when one of those friends suggested I start a blog, I didn't think too much of the idea. It seemed like a lot of work and my primary focus has been trying to find a job.
Last night God got my attention again, when He reconnected me with another friend - someone I grew up with and haven't seen since we both got married and moved away more than 30 years ago. We had become friends on Facebook but hadn't spoken until last night. I learned that she is suffering pretty much the way I suffered 12 years ago and I sent her my book and my phone number and hopefully I can help her find some comfort and peace in the midst of her storm.
So I'm here and I'm trusting God will tell me what He wants me to say ... hopefully without needing to pick up the 2x4 and whack me upside the head with it!
If you think Alone With God would be helpful to someone you know, please send me your email address and I'll be happy to send you a copy. Here are the chapter titles:
- Resting in God's Arms
- Listening for God's Voice
- Trusting in God's Promises
- Waiting for God's Timing
- Seeing God Move
- Imagining God's Purposes
- Being God's Witness
Wishing you God's Peace,
Jeanette U
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