Four months passed by, and I was still out of a job.
Desperation set in. The bills kept pouring in—but the paychecks did
not. Overdrawn credit cards, utility
bills, and mortgage payments began to suffocate me. I had submitted
hundreds of résumés and gone for nearly thirty
interviews. But I still had no job offer.
Continuous rejections began to affect my self-esteem, confidence, and
motivation. I felt powerless and scared.
Then one day I hit rock bottom. That’s when I made a total
surrender to God’s will—not because I saw the light but because I felt
the heat. Exhausted,
lonely, and desperate, I knelt by my bed and prayed fervently to God.
“Dear God, guide me to the right business that can offer me a paying
job,” I prayed aloud.
Instead of asking for answers, I asked God for direction.
I received a sign the following morning. It was as if a voice
within me instructed me to pursue a different job-hunting strategy—to
go canvassing
door-to-door for job opportunities. I put on my best business outfit,
said a prayer, and stepped out of the house with a smile. Something
felt right that day. My
intention was to visit local businesses and ask if any jobs were
available.
I greeted the manager at each business and said cordially,
“Good morning. Are you hiring right now?” In some places the answer was
a prompt No, at which
point I proceeded to the
next business. In some places my question was followed by the question,
“What kind of job are you looking for?” I replied promptly,
“Anything that pays.” I went to the carpentry shop,
the bakery, real
estate offices, hotels, publishers, and plumbing services, among many
others.
Some businesses responded to my query with grace; others
were impatient with the interruption. The responses were
humbling, and even the gracious ones
eventually tested my perseverance. I found that face-to-face rejection
is far more difficult to accept than a rejection letter in the mail.
Simultaneously, I found
that it was a useful learning experience through exercising courage and
hope.
Initially, I took the negative responses personally. But after
experiencing dozens of them within a few hours, however, I
came to realize that the responses were
about the job market
and not about me. This change of attitude brought a great deal
of mental solace and has been a valuable life lesson for me.
By four o’clock in the afternoon, I had experienced 196
face-to-face negative responses in my job search. Even though
disheartened, I reminded myself that I had
been impressed in answer to my prayer that I was to use this method of
job hunting. I was determined to ask and seek, until I found a door that
would open.
Tired and hungry, I came to a quaint carpet retail outlet. Now
on auto pilot, I walked in confidently and said, “Hi, I am looking for
a job. Are you hiring right
now?”
“Yes,” came the answer. “This must be my lucky day. I was just
thinking how great it would be to have an assistant. When can you
start?”
“Right now,” I replied eagerly, almost unable to believe what
I had heard. To hear the word Yes after a day of continuous
rejections was a refreshing breeze.
Silent tears came into my eyes, and I felt a weight being lifted off my
shoulders. I said a quiet prayer and thanked God for helping me to find
a job.
Every day of work at the carpet store has been a joyous
experience. I am constantly being challenged with new and interesting
tasks. I like my job and enjoy the
people I work with.
The heights we can reach after we admit our powerlessness and
ask for God’s direction are amazing. Ironically, buried underneath my desperation was an
inspiration that I never knew I possessed. Hitting bottom was the key
to finding an opportunity. Finding a job has been a test of my faith in
God. I learned that
when I think that I am in control and that I know what is best for me,
I am doomed to failure. But when I followed God’s directions and put in
the effort, God
took care of the outcome.
Even though at first surrender to God can be frightening, it
brings us closer to God’s plan. Letting go of trying to be in control
and humbly accepting God’s plan
secured me a job in the end.
Preethi Burkholder writes from Aspen, Colorado.
