God Said Hello To Me Again
A testimony & an affirmation from a friend whom I met at work.
“God guide you doesn’t mean it will be easy every time right? So even God haven’t open this door for u, He still can see ur efforts, He is the only one who will open every door for u. So nothing go to waste la.
Like u work this popiah job, u feel you achieve nothing what. But in the end
God say hello to me again because of u what”
The story begins after leaving my job in Dec 2021. I waited on God to give me a clear direction on the path which He wanted me to take.
Should I decide to go anywhere, I knew reaching out to people in God’s love would be the #1 priority in my heart.
During my one month in France, God revealed to me that reaching out in love doesn’t only mean just sharing the gospel to people but to really go out of the way to make an impact in somebody’s life. I knew I needed a place that I was able to give and to show love, I just didn’t know where exactly.
As I looked through the different jobs available, God led me to this job at Epworth Home Sweet Home as a Residential Care Worker. With no qualification except some experience from Children’s Ministry, I applied for the job.
During the interview, unexpected questions came in my way. Questions came after each and every answer that I gave. I knew I was not well prepared for this as I had not been reflecting on my “Why”. Hence, during the interview I was really flustered. I couldn’t articulate my thoughts well, I couldn’t share what exactly I did and what I could bring to the table. I couldn’t share about my eagerness to learn and to give my best. I was lost for words throughout the interview. I didn’t know how to fully explain why I wanted this job.
By the end of the interview, I was telling everyone that I messed up so badly. But I had to wait till Tuesday (22 Feb 2022) to get a confirmation and if I didn’t hear from them, it meant that I didn’t get the job.
Throughout the week leading up to Tuesday, I was discouraged and felt pretty hopeless about this because of the interview. I didn’t have a plan B. I just knew this was where God was leading me. I didn’t try applying for other jobs or rather I had no other interest in the other organisation and jobs. This was similar to when I completed my O’lvl and all I wanted to do was Accountancy even though my points couldn’t get me in. It felt familiar. When I had nothing in mind because I just knew this was the right path for me, nothing else interested me, neither was I ready to move from this.
To groom, to guide and to show love to children that came from abusive families. And I felt that so clearly in my heart.
Lesson 1: God is the one who opens doors, not us.
Then came the dreadful Tuesday. I was opening my email every hour since 9am, waiting and hoping for a reply. By 6pm, I had not received any email and I told my girlfriend that I didn’t think I got the job.
To my surprise, few minutes after 6pm, I received a call. The moment she mentioned that she was from Epworth, I was so nervous. I was expecting to hear “we regret to inform you that you didn’t get the job?” But no, she told me I was accepted into this role. And I was taken aback and lost for words. There was no way that my interview could have landed me this job. Not a single chance in hell did my talking get me in, neither could any of my qualification ever.
I was tearing up as the person was talking to me because I knew, this could only be God. A door that God opens, no man can shut. Not even myself. I’ve seen and learnt time and time again, not by my own strength, but it’s really because of God. God lays the calling, the prompting in my heart, and I just follow along with it.
Lesson 2: There’s always a reason where God has placed us.
At the beginning I mentioned about my friend’s story. It’s true because I remember mid way during my work, I was debating with God. “Of course, I could have a Godly view of work in mind. Put people first right? Love people and have a Godly influence on the people around me.” But I didn’t come in with that priority, that was probably 2nd on my list. 1st on my list was to gain experience and exposure in something new. Having not met my 1st expectation, I wasn’t ready to move on to the 2nd on the list.
But deep down I knew, I couldn’t move from where God called me to be. Not yet. I’ve experienced this before where I chose to change where God has placed me because it felt uncomfortable for a moment and I didn’t feel His peace throughout the entire process.
Yet by the end of my 7 months at work, it wasn’t wasted. It wasn’t meaningless. God had a person in mind that He wanted to meet.
In hindsight, was that 7 months of unmet expectations and repetitive work worth it all? Would I do it again? If I knew it was for this friend of mine that God wanted to encounter, then I would surely do it again.
I’m thankful that God used her to say “hello” to me as well
In this new season ahead, may I press on with a fresh perspective of what God is doing in my life and what He wants to do through my life. To allow God to mold and work in me. Not my agendas, but may it be His.
To know that really, in every step that I take, feeling the peace of God, feeling the prompting and call in my heart, God has a purpose behind it all.
P.S Just signed the contract last Thursday (3 Mar 2022) woo! Excited to start work on 4 Apr! :)
