A New Job In 2001, I closed a business I loved to prepare to move to a nearby city. My former husband had just been hired at a new job, which had a residency requirement. The business I closed was a thriving home-based child care and preschool whose foundation was Jesus. Closing was very hard for me to do, but it was necessary because our family was more important than my business. I closed the business about four months before we actually moved, because I was offered a preschool teaching position in the new city, which I accepted. When I first started at this new preschool, I was sorely disappointed. I was teaching the summer Kindergarten program. The school did not have the supplies I needed to be an effective teacher, and it was obvious that the teacher who held the position before me did not take pride in her job. The classroom was neglected, and the children were not acquainted with routine. I had a really big challenge ahead of me and little to work with. The owners of this preschool meant well. They were fellow Christians whose hearts were in the right place; they just were unaware of the condition of the classroom I was assigned to. I worked with my Kindergarten students for about four months and was proud of the turnaround I had made with the children and the humble classroom I was assigned to. Even though progress was made, I was still not fully enjoying my new position because of the limits I had with educational materials and supplies. One things I really did miss also was teaching children about the Lord, and planning my lessons from a Christian perspective. That was not negotiable, though. Even though the owners were Christian, this was a mainstream, secular preschool. I accepted that my teaching could not include Jesus. I looked forward to the beginning of the new school year. I was assigned to teach Pre-Kindergarten in another building. I was excited about my new room. I assumed that the new position would offer everything that the other one did not. Boy, was I wrong! About a week before the new school year started, I had requested to take a look at my new classroom so that I could begin planning my layout and learning centers. When I arrived at the new building, I was "greeted" by the existing Pre-K teacher who said "I hope you're patient, because you are going to need it. These kids drive me crazy!" If you're acquainted with the education profession, you would know that not only was this an unprofessional statement, but it honestly takes one aback! I walked into the classroom and I wanted to cry. I saw chipped paint covering the walls, water-stained ceiling tiles, mismatched and worn furniture, and very few educational materials. Broken toys were scattered on a few shelves. The room was a mess. I thought, "This is the exact same situation as in the other building. How can I teach under these conditions?" I smiled politely and left. I never let on that I was disappointed, but I really was. Call it pride (now I know it was!), but I felt like I had been demoted. Successful preschool owner down to teacher of a crappy classroom! On the way home I started to cry. I asked God, "God, can you help me please? I can't teach like this. Please help me find a new job." God answered. He told me if I just do my best, be optimistic, have a good attitude, and make the most of the situation, that He would bless me and had something much better planned for me. I argued with Him for a while and left the matter unsettled in my heart. I spoke with a friend of mine (who is now passed)  later that evening. He confirmed what God told me. He told me that I need to do my best to represent the Lord, and that God wouldn't forget about me. He was going to bless me with something wonderful. If only I would be faithful with little, He would bless me with much! He that is faithful with little things is faithful with big things also. Luke 16:10 I prayed a lot over the next couple of days. I considered God's promise. I imagined maybe the older teacher down the hall in my new building would retire in a year- she had a very nice classroom, and maybe I would inherit it. Isn't it funny how limited our imagination is where God is concerned? It's almost like we are too afraid to imagine bigger blessings! As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 I accepted that God would be faithful in this, and decided I would have a positive attitude and make Him proud of me. The day before the new school year started, I was invited to start preparing my new classroom. When I walked in, I couldn't believe my eyes. The old classroom I had seen was nowhere to be found. They had painted the walls, replaced ceiling tiles, purchased new furniture and materials; it was the most beautiful classroom I had ever seen! I thanked God silently, thanked the owners for what they had done to the room, and went busily about, getting ready for the new school year. "How awesome are you, God!" I thought. "You really did have something wonderful planned for me!" I know God smiled at His daughter, she was so pleased with this blessing. But He had much more in store for me, little did I know. For the next two months, I truly enjoyed my job. The children were such a blessing, I loved every minute working with them. I was completely content in where I was. Then, one day, as we were starting to pack for our big move, the phone rang. I was busy so I didn't pick up. The caller left a message for me. It was the director of another preschool, who wanted to offer me a position on her staff. Well, I was so content where I was, I didn't even consider calling her back. The next day she called again. Again, in my selfish business, I didn't call her back to thank her for the opportunity. I just kept going on my merry, contented way. The following day, I received an email from her. She explained in detail why she had been calling. She said she was getting ready to retire, and that she remembered me from some classes we had been in together. She remembered how knowledgeable I was from running my own business, and that I made a strong impression on her from a Christian perspective. The position I was being offered was as director of her Christian child care and preschool center. To say the least, her email caught my attention. But (if you can believe it), I was so happy where I was, I replied in a rather neutral manner. I thanked her for contacting me and told her I might be interested, but that I would have to pray about it. After prayer, and speaking it over with my husband, I decided I would formally apply  for the position, but really had the prayerful attitude that "If God wants me there, it will all work out." I applied for the position and continued with the process of moving to our new home, as well as teaching the class I loved so much. I didn't hear anything the few days remaining before we moved. I was so busy with packing, moving, and cleaning (and of course, mothering) over the weekend, I never even thought about the possibility of a new job. We moved in, had a new phone number, and had our computer neatly boxed up, so there was no means of communication with me. A week passed, and I finally got around to hooking up our computer. I signed online (dial-up connection in those days!) and looked through the dozens of emails that had built up in my inbox over the last week. Among them was an email from the associate pastor of the church that owned this Christian child care and preschool center where I was being offered the position. The email explained that he would like to schedule an interview with me.... and it was dated SIX DAYS EARLIER. I thought, "Well, that's that then. I'm sure they haven't been waiting around for six days for a response from me. I am sure they selected another candidate." Something inside of me told me to go ahead and call anyway. So the next day, during my lunch break at work, I did (...and if you can believe it, I almost forgot to call and had to quickly drive to a corner payphone where I could barely hear the pastor on the other end. I thought, "How unprofessional I must look, waiting 7 days now to return his call and then calling from this ridiculous phone!") A apologized for my delay in calling him back. He thanked me for calling and scheduled an interview with me. When I went to the interview, I wasn't nervous at all. I had the attitude that if God wanted me there, He would work it all out and I wouldn't have to try. I went in, sat down, and had my interview with that associate pastor and an elder from the church. I thought the interview went very well, but didn't worry about it at all. At least a week went by without a word. I honestly did not sweat it. What a change from the girl who prayed for a new job just two months earlier! When I did get a phone call, I was asked to come in for a second interview with the entire church board. I gladly accepted, and made arrangements to come in for this evening interview. When I arrived at the interview, I prayed in my car that God would just be in this situation, this His will be done, and either way I was not going to invest my hopes. My hopes were in Him. My "interview" with the board, even though I imagined sitting before a panel of twelve suited executives, was actually an informal meeting of the board with some pretty laid-back folks. They thanked me for coming and proceeded to offer me the position, laid out salary and other details, and asked if I was interested in being their new director. What a surprise that was! I told them "yes" and let them know I needed to give two weeks notice to my current employer. They thanked me, gave me lots of information to take with me and said that they would have the current director call me with details. I always joke that I got this job in spite of myself! I met with my employer the next day, and explained my new job offer. I apologized for leaving her after only working there for five months. She smiled and blessed me, said that she thought I would be a hard one to keep long-term, because she knew God had bigger things planned for me. My last two weeks there were beautiful, but sad. It was hard saying goodbye to my students and their families, but I knew without a doubt that I was traveling down a path God had laid before me. There were challenges during my transition that I know without a doubt that God had intervened in. There were such challenges as trying to renew my CDA (Child Development Associate, required for the director position), which coincidentally was up for renewal at the exact time I was taking this new job. If you can believe it, the federal department responsible for renewals had a fire in their records room, which had put indefinite delays on all CDA renewals. To further complicate matters, one of the two CDA renewal people in D.C. had been deployed to Afghanistan after September 11. So not only were they behind because of the fire, but they had half the usual number of employees to do the catching up! When I noticed the delay in receiving my CDA renewal, I called and was told this information. They did not know how long it would be before I received my renewal. Not Good! I asked them to check the status of my renewal request, and to make things even more (ridiculously) worse, they had made some mistakes in processing my paperwork. The lady I spoke with said she would have her supervisor call me later. Now, if that wasn't Satan trying to discourage me, I don't know what is! Well, to make this long story short, the "mistakes" made by them cause my CDA renewal request to be expedited by the supervisor herself. I received my CDA renewal the Saturday before my Monday start date at my new job! This is just one of many challenges. It has been very clear to me that Satan does not want me working in my calling, and has thrown one hurdle like this after another since I accepted that position. But I know, without any doubt, that I was literally "called" to be the director of this Christian child care and preschool center. God's grace has sufficed for all that I have been through since then, November of 2001. I have been though a tumultuous first year there, school financial crisis, a divorce, and countless other problems. However, God is with me, He has never forsaken me, and I can attest to this.... There is nothing like walking in the calling God has placed on one's life. I have never had such challenges, but with each one I have faced, my trust and faith in the King gets stronger. Satan's tricks do not succeed when you place all of your trust in the One who saved you! Back