Streams in the Desert.

I just realized that a lot happens in my life in short amounts of time. Although every day of this journey in the land between has been filled with phone calls, job searches, and babysitting jobs, it seems like just when I am fed up with living in SoCal and not having a job, (and I leave phone messages with my sister and brother in law in Michigan that I will be taking up their offer to come live with them in The Farm)...I get interviews like crazy!

To be honest, I was so fed up last week - I was hitting a road block. Actually, I was still pretty down for a day or two THIS week...that is, until I went to the gym with my good pal Karen. Meeting a friend at the gym is WAY more motivating than just going by yourself, I am telling you. When you are jogging next to a friend on the treadmil (sp?) all of a sudden 30 minutes have gone by and you have just had an entire conversation! This is where it gets good. :) On Monday, Karen and I were biking next to each other, and I was just real honest (when am I not?) and told her I was feeling kind of depressed...not really wanting to hang with anyone, feeling out of it with friends and such (because they are all teachers, and I....am unemployed). Then Karen looks at me and says, "Well, are you spending time in Scripture, and talking to God?" I sheepishly looked over to her and said, "Um....." and then she said, "Well, Allison! That is your first problem!" For as much as I seek to follow in Christ's footsteps, and rave about sermons by Jeff Manion, and how great my small group is....my devotional life can be a little weak. Enter: Karen's suggestion. She said, "Allison, after this workout, you are going to the Christian bookstore, and you are buying this book called Streams in the Desert. And then you really need to start setting aside a time every day to devote to God." Talk about accountability, right!!?? So that is what I did. I bought the book, I started to read it, and this is what it said, "Our life is very mysterious. In fact, it would be totally unexplainable unless we believed that God was preparing us for events and ministries that lie unseen beyond the veil of the eternal world - where spririts like tempered steel will be required for special service." And then...

I got a phone call asking me to come interview for a job. And the next day, an email saying that I am one of four candidates for a DIFFERENT job. God does not give up on us. His love never fails.

Wait a minute. I am not saying that there is some magic trick, and that if we all of a sudden start reading some book (even the Bible) that we will get job interviews (or whatever else we are hoping for at the time) No...actually, I think that once we start allowing more of God into our lives, we feel more settled, at peace, grounded, and joyful despite circumstances. And that will take you a LONG ways. So even if I hadn't gotten this great news soon after my initial time with God...I would not be disappointed, but rather equipped to continue on with a better attitute, and strength to keep going. So please don't get me wrong here...there is not magic trick; no formula to use that will automatically change us. I'm just telling you about MY radical experience...not that it happens like this every time, or that I was planning on this happening, okay? Okay. :)

Gotta run.....time to get ready for that interview!!