Temporarily Temporary

Some time ago I heard the story of "The Drowning Man." It went like this:

"A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.
Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, 'Jump in, I can save you.'
The stranded fellow shouted back, 'No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me.'
So the rowboat went on.
Then a motorboat came by. The fellow in the motorboat shouted, 'Jump in, I can save you.'
To this the stranded man said, 'No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.'
So the motorboat went on.
Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, 'Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.'
To this the stranded man again replied, 'No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.'
So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.
Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, 'I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!'
To this God replied, 'I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?'"

Now I'm not one to say that I am the "perfect" Christian (especially since I never WILL be), or even the most "mature" Christian (because I'm not). I have many flaws and am a continual "work in progress." However...I will say that I am a wee bit smarter than "The Drowning Man." 

Many who know me aware of my unemployment situation and my diligent search to find new employment. I have applied for more jobs than I can count and have met with several of the local staffing agencies. I've been on numerous interviews only to hear," Well...we still have more candidates to interview so...we'll let you know." That's code for, "Thanks for coming in. This concludes our interview process with you."

I've gotta tell ya...it's been extremely discouraging and I was really beginning to believe that there must be something wrong with me.

Sunday before I left for church I posted the following on my Facebook page:

As you head to church this morning, please add me to your prayers and/or your church prayer list. Pray (in the name of Jesus) that I am offered a job THIS WEEK. Not just an interview, but an actual Full-Time JOB OFFER. I need to hear the words, "Can you start tomorrow?"
Even ask your fellow members if they know of any IMMEDIATE job opportunities if you will.
Please and Thank you!

Well...praise be to God...I heard those words TODAY!!! And I start working TOMORROW!

Now here's the thing. It's only a temporary assignment for now, lasting 3-4 weeks. And the pay isn't nearly what I was making at my previous job. However...it's SOMETHING...which is 100% MORE than what's been coming in for the past few months, which has been ZERO. My goal is to get in there and "WOW" them with my awesomeness so that they'll want to keep me on for longer, or just outright offer me the opportunity to stay permanently, and at a higher pay rate. That is the hope and the prayer.

Of course, I know that there are no guarantees, so my search for Full-Time Permanent employment will still continue, because ultimately THAT is what I need.

I said all that to say this though. Some folks may have passed up this opportunity because it's short term, and the money's not what it should be. But I believe that this job was God's way of sending a "rowboat". No...it's not a luxury liner...but it's enough to keep me safe until something bigger and better comes along. Without this "rowboat" that God has sent my way, I would've surely drowned.

The money that I will make from this temporary assignment will probably be just enough for me to pay March's rent. Of course, being able to pay for more would be WONDERFUL, but as long as I can keep a roof over my head, I am thankful. The phone, lights, food, and everything else are secondary. Keeping my humble lil apartment is first and foremost.

So right now I simply pause to thank God again. I thank Him for what He's already done, and I thank Him in advance for what He WILL do.

For all who have prayed for me, and with me...THANK  YOU! I appreciate you ALL!!

That's it for tonight. No DIALOGUE needed. Just wanted to share my good news, and the goodness of God.

Til next time...