The Meantime Ends

Surprise! Just when you think I have lost your email for good, I jump back into your inbox like I never missed a beat!

When I started writing the devotional In the Meantime, it was because there was a fork in the road before me in my life. The man I have worked for these past nine years chose not to run for re-election. There was a year to seek the Lord's will in my life and determine what the next phase would look like.

While it is always a good idea to seek the Lord's will in your life, if you are anything like me, you may have a tendency to explain to Him what that should look like. For example, while I said, "Lord, your will be done," I also made the statement that the one thing I would not do was to work for a freshman legislator. My comment was that training a freshman would be too much like house breaking a puppy. I consider myself too old and too wise to take that on.

I also voiced the opinion (in case God needed the advice) that I was through with the legislature and thought that my time might be better spent in a think tank environment. In a think tank, you get to come up with great ideas while the political reality of putting them into practice does not hamper the process. There I could be paid for having an opinion and wouldn't have to mess with those pesky legislators any longer. After all, I have been working in this environment for 18 years. And, in dog years (which many of them seemed like) that is a very long time.

Also, I said that I would not go looking for a job. If the Lord had something for me to do, He was going to have to bring the job to me. There would be no resumes, no fretting over interviews, no looking for opportunities. Just waiting. After the first couple of months, my husband was beginning to wonder if that were truly the best way to find a new position in this economy. He suggested I at least brush up my resume in case someone showed an interest.

The recommendation made some sense, so I began looking at what would need to go into a new resume. However, before getting very far in the process, a dear friend in a local think tank called and invited me to come talk. We caught up on old times, discussed some policy issues, and I was asked if I had any interest in a position with the organization. From my lips to God's ears! Was this great or what?! I was given the weekend to pray over the issue.

I left there delighting in the goodness of the Lord! Imagine that you are given exactly what you asked for. Is that good or what? Then, as I prayed, the revelation came to me. This was God's opportunity to do exactly what I wanted to do. I was free to take it. Or, I could turn it down and wait for the opportunity to do exactly what the Lord wanted me to do. Grateful for the insight before I made the wrong decision, I let the opportunity pass. It felt sort of like petting that perfect puppy in the pet store, and then turning around and walking away from it.

The next day - no kidding, the very next day - I received an email from a fellow staffer who had a candidate who has little opposition in the November general election in her office. She wanted to know if I would come down and meet him. I had received five separate emails from people telling me that this was the person who would be a perfect fit for me to work for. I told them all I had no interest in working for a freshman. I am never opposed, however, to meeting new legislators.

The man I met was about as different in demeanor from the current Marine Colonel, Italian I work for as you can get. In our office, you think somebody is mad if we are not all talking at once. Here was a man who agreed in principle and philosophy, but articulated it in a much quieter manner. He asked if he could bring his wife to meet me the next day. I met her and two of their delightful daughters. Before we even got to the point of discussing working together, I knew where the Lord was leading me.

However, I also knew the challenges that come with working with an employee as opinionated as I am. I insisted on the "New Guy" talking with my old boss. I told the old boss all the bad things I wanted him to share with the new guy. "Tell him I am opinionated and that I don't shut up until I see some glimmer in your eye that you understand what I am talking about. Tell him I annoy other legislators because I speak when they think staff should be quiet. Tell him that he will never have to doubt what I think because I will never be shy about telling him. Tell him…"

Talking it over with Jerry, he informed me that most people who actually want a job do not lead the interview with their shortcomings. He has a point. However, if this was where the Lord wanted me to be, I did not want there to be any of my shortcomings to come as a surprise. In spite of it all, New Guy did his due diligence on me and several months ago offered me the position as his chief of staff. I told him I had not planned on working for a freshman. He shared that he and his wife had agreed he would not hire a woman as chief of staff.

And, God laughed.

Anyway, that was when the Lord quit giving me material for In the Meantime and I fell out of your inboxes. The moral to the story is, do not ever be so intent on knowing what you want to do in your life that you miss out on what the Lord wants to do through you.

And, just so you will know, tomorrow I will begin a new devotional for those who want to stay tuned. It will be a forty day devotional leading up to the November election. Unlike most of the devotionals that the Lord has just imparted to me, He has actually been having me work for this one. I look forward to seeing what He has in store.

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