It was a drill weekend and the guys I work with and I were talking about this and that, pretty much catching up on what was going on in each other’s lives. And one guy sort of complained about a promotion at his civilian job that he had been promised by the supervisor in that area. Not told he had a good chance but that he had the job. Well, he believed them and even though promised the job he still tries to make a good impression on the interview board and a few days later notified he did not get selected but no real explanation why he didn’t get the job he was promised and that caused him to feel bitter about it and bitter towards the person that promised him the job. We all talked about similar instances and how we had not gotten jobs that had been guaranteed by someone we trusted to be truthful and then we discussed the longer term impact as well as outcome in our lives because of that. I had similar things happen to me and I took my turn sharing the information.
I was working at a hospital in town in housekeeping that I had taken to try to get my foot in the door there as it was supposed to be much easier to get other jobs there if you were already an employee and after several months there was a job in the warehouse/supply room that paid a little better, but the hours were better with regular days and hours. I was pretty well acquainted with the supervisor for that area and spoke with him before applying. After talking with him and being told that he hoped that I would apply and that he looked forward to working with me and a few other things that made me believe that I had the job. I did the formal interview and everything he told me at that time left no doubt in my mind that I would be offered that position. Then, a week later when it came for time to be notified about the job I received a notice in the hospital mail system (this was before email) that I was not selected for the job. Oh, it was all said nicely, thanking me for my interest but that position had been filled. I was stunned given all I had been told. I soon learned that another employee in housekeeping was the one hired and he was a guy that I thought was a friend. But, I also found out that he knew I was applying for the same position (that I was unaware he had applied for also) and that he had gone out of his way to ingratiate himself to the department head over the warehouse and also next higher level manager over the supervisor who was supposed to be hiring for the position. In addition he had made more than a few derogatory statements about me to his “friend” and that friend he had made had told the supervisor who he was to hire. I felt like I had been stabbed in the back and lied to about the job and was disappointed. Money was tight back then and the small raise would have been helpful.
Very soon after he started the job, the guy that was hired started complaining to those he had worked with previously in house keeping that they didn’t leave him on days, it was only for training that he had been on day shift and he complained about a lot of other things that he found out were not as either of us had led to believe about the job. The friend that he had made that helped him get the job then started creating issues for him because the guy had lied on his application about his prior work experiences and was not a good employee. Others in the supply room soon found that he was not a good co-worker as he often left tasks uncompleted and was an unpleasant individual with whom to work. So, not only was the job no where near as great as I thought it would be, the one that was hired instead of me found out that the lies he put on his application and others he told about me to cause others to have a less favorable opinion of me to help himself seem a better applicant only got him a job he did not like. In the long run, not only did my prior coworker regret doing the things he did to get the job, the people in the department found out they had made a mistake in hiring him.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Proverbs 28:20
Then a couple months later a much better job was posted that while the hours were not as desirable the job would give me a lot of experience with reading EKG’s and an opportunity to learn a lot that would help me in the future plus it paid much better than the job in the supply room. I applied for that job and was hired for the position and in hindsight it became obvious that God was in control and was putting me in the job I needed to have to benefit me in the long term.
But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it]. Romans 8:25
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8
I shared about a couple other times that times I applied for jobs and was not hired, then learned in later that they were not as great as I thought they would be and so, despite my thoughts that a job would be a good thing, it was much better that I did not get any of those jobs and better opportunities came along. I just needed to be more patient and trust God to know better than I about such things. I also shared about times I pushed to get jobs that very quickly I regretted getting hired as they were not as great as I thought but I stuck with them until something else came along that was better.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Psalms 37:4
I found that when I let God have the control things worked out better for me and despite the disappointments of not being hired for some of the jobs, things worked out better when I trusted Him than when I trusted myself and my own judgement. God is so much smarter than me! I also see in hind sight that those times I did not get the job because of bad decisions or, well, backstabbing by someone else, not only did the people that hired someone else instead of me regret their decisions, but those who did me wrong to get the jobs also regretted getting those positions as they were no where near as great as we had thought and that at times, the supervisors for whom they ended up working were not very good people to work for and not the people they had thought. More than once jobs I applied for and did not get would have not been beneficial in the long run and God was in control, even though I didn’t realize it at the time, He was preparing me and preparing the way for me to get a much better job.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
The same thing applies to other aspects of my life as well, when I forced my will on a situation it did not go well, but when I let go and let God have control He rewarded me and put me in much better circumstances. He is so much wiser than I and I should have been trusting Him more all along.
Lord, I worship You and thank You for all the blessings in my life and for the situations that did not seem to be a blessing at first, but only because I could not see the big picture and despite my limited sight, You took care of me and prepared the way before me. I than You for the sacrifice of Your son Christ and the salvation I have thank to His suffering and pain. I pray in the name of Jesus that I better allow You the control You should have and that I better trust You to know what is best for me and not trust my own limited judgement. I pray that You should my loved ones how to trust You and not be so quick to push for something that may not be the best for them and if they find themselves in such positions they turn things over to You. I pray You draw us all closer to You and help us all be better servants for You.
Amen
Thanks for your time. I hope all have a blessed day and that you take time to be a blessing to someone else.
