Don’t Run Ahead

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I had to get out. I intended to leave that frustrating, stressful job and nothing was going to stop me. When I got the call for a job interview, I thought things were going according to plans. I arrived at the interview early, dressed to impress. After meeting with the director, I met with the man who’d be my direct manager. This was where the interview took a wrong turn. Not only was I not on same street anymore, I wasn’t even sure I was in the same zip code.

Right in the middle of the interview, I sensed it was not the job for me. I had an overwhelming urge to get up and walk out. However, despite that internal voice yelling “Run, Mari, run!”, I sat there and completed the interview. I went home dejected, not expecting or even wanting a call. Guess what? I got one anyway. I accepted the position, knowing in my heart that it might be a bad decision. I was determined to get out so I completely ignored all the warning signs God was giving me. I was just too impatient.

Six months later, I was back at my old job. Yes ma’am, that same one I had been dying to leave. Everyone welcomed me back, but had the same questions for me. Why had I left and then come back so soon? What was so bad just six months ago that was suddenly improved now? I couldn’t answer them because I was still trying to figure out the answers myself.

A Second Chance

Fast Forward to 2009. I was again in a job that had run its course. It was time to move on. How was this time going to be different than the last time when I jumped out of the frying pan into an out of control fire? I knew from analyzing what I did wrong before that I had to put God first in my decision. What did that look like?

It involved a lot of patience. That’s not something I do well. I struggle with waiting and being patient. This was not the time for excuses so I pulled up my big girls pants and began, with prayer. That was one key component I left out the first time around. My constant prayer this time was for God to close and padlock any doors He didn’t intend for me to walk through. Three years later my ears are still ringing from the sound combo, SLAM! CLINK!

Action Steps

I think Psalm 37:7 gives three great action steps for waiting patiently for God. It says “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way…” (NKJV).

1. Rest in the Lord – This means to be at peace, knowing that God has already laid the groundwork for His plans for our lives.

2. Wait patiently for God – Don’t run ahead of God. I ran a bulldozer over God’s plans because, to me, He wasn’t moving fast enough. What I should have done was wait and trust that He knew what He was doing, much better than I did.

3. Do not worry – God’s in control. We don’t need to waste energy worrying. It’s not going to advance God’s plans but it might advance a few gray hairs for us. We must simply be patient, wait and trust.

By patiently waiting for God to unfurl his plans and not trying to force my plans into action, I was able to leave that job in 2010 for what I still consider a dream position. After waiting a full year for God to “show up”, a co-worker recommended me for a job with my current company. He later told me that it wasn’t a good fit for him. Even though he’d only worked with me a short time, he just knew somehow I was the right person for that job. I knew without a doubt that God had orchestrated this turn in events.

I’m not sure I’d have this position if I had forged ahead and not been patient. I have that painful six month stint to prove how off track I can get when I don’t wait on God. So, if you’re tempted to run ahead of God, remember the three steps. Rest. Wait. Don’t worry.