You Can't Push the Lord Around

I believe in Providence. I also believe in free will. Where those two overlap, I'm not quite sure. But Peenie said it best earlier today:

"You can't push the Lord around. I'd like to, but it's best not to do that."

Wise words from my grandmother. And maybe she's rubbing off on me, because...

I read an article recently that was entitled, "Life Doesn't Begin at Your Next Milestone". True, and while I think we all know this, we act like we don't. Why do we push, push, push SO HARD to get to that next milestone? Be it college, grad school, a job, marriage, a baby, grandbabies (Ahem! Mom? Stooooop!)...is it society that drive us? Family? Friends? Our own entitlement? I think comparison has a large part in it, and you know what I read about comparison recently? It's the thief of joy.

Let THAT sink in for a minute.

But yes, my usual M.O. for any milestone (or any big decision, for that matter) is to PUSH. Just ask my family. My personality is all like, "ADVANCE! ADVANCE! NEVER RETREAT!" For all of you Myers Briggs people out there, I'm a total ENFJ, and that F is a capital F with an exponent of 20. If something feels right, I jump on it like white on rice. Like cold on ice. I don't pray about decisions. I don't wait for things patiently. I MAKE things happen. 

My family laughs at this ability of mine, mostly because it's helped me get a lot of the things that I've wanted. I'm a "go-getter", which to most people is a good thing. But the one thing you don't hear about go-getters is that while they're dependable and get things done, they typically do not reflect on things. And lack of reflection can result in premature decisions. Hence, my 1st and 2nd attempts at graduate school, my split-second move to DC in 2012, my inability to figure out what I want to DOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Etcetera, etcetera, and so forth. So where am I going with all of this? Or...where am I going, period?

Well, as far as what I want to do for a career is concerned, you've got me there. I know I like to work with people. I know I don't want to be in a cubicle again. I know that I'm creative, yet also structured. And I know that I want to do something meaningful. Something that furthers a cause, not something that just shoots me a paycheck.

As far as decisions or milestones go, the next one for me is having a salaried job once again. Peenie no longer needs me in Greenville, so it's back to LinkedIn job search. But I'm not pushing this time. Nope, I'm approaching it differently. 

First, this milestone is most definitely a "need" and not a "want". The time that I've spent in Greenville with Peenie has been good for me in many ways (forced reflection being one of them), but it has not been good for my finances. This needs to be righted ASAP. Student loans, you dig?

Second, in the past, my tendency has been to go out and grab whatever decent-sounding job I could get. No more. This will be a process where I will practice patience and reflection. I will put myself out there and be "choosy". I will not settle.

Third, though I ultimately will choose where to work (God bless the USA for that), I am relying on the Lord to place me in the job and city that is best. This is where Providence and free will intersect, I think. 

So, friends, keep me in your prayers! Pray that I'll find some meaningful employment! And that the Lord will bless it! And if you're struggling with reaching that next milestone yourself (whatever it may be), remember the wise words of Peanut:

"You can't push the Lord around. I'd like to, but it's best not to do that."