Sunday’s Thought: Okay, So Why Are You Still There?

photo above courtesy of bing/onlineincometeacher

Long ago, I had a job that I hated – for most of you I bet you’re saying “Join the club, Girl,” while this job was a dream come true in the beginning; the longer I stayed there the crazier, wackier and more dysfunctional it had become. I found myself hating to get up in the morning to take the long commute to get there, most days I cried before I got out of the car to enter the building – Yes, it was just that bad. I mean, I was (in my opinion) a good worker, I did my job and caught on quickly to any new tasks that were given to me, but no matter what I seemed to do, I still wasn’t liked or favored by upper management. They were the type of boss that showed favoritism to the people that didn’t do their jobs, they took glory in the gossipers whom sat in the corner and talked about everyone else; I mean, they joined them and talked about people too including the ones that were doing the gossiping; but here I was, trying to put out good work and still couldn’t get ahead with them, everything I did was wrong and even if it was right – they would always find a piece of the puzzle that just wasn’t put in securely.

I couldn’t win for always loosing – but I persevered on and kept doing what I was supposed to do. Suddenly one day the job that I had always wanted came up for grabs – thinking that I would be first choice for this job (since I was working closely with the person that was already doing it) I put in my application – to my surprise, quite a few people put in their applications as well for the same job – which was ridiculous to me because why would they do that and they hadn’t lifted a finger in the job that I was currently doing; but I kept my hopes up – when it came time for me to have my interview, I was excited – I was asked questions about the job that I had already known but……things turned when I was asked, “So, how much time are you willing to put into this position because it’s a lot more work than what you are doing now.” I stated – “I’m going to give it 100%.” 100%?, they asked. “I mean – you can’t commit 100% to anything, you’ll burn out.” Suddenly, I began to think about my current job and how I submitted this big report, a report that had all these mathematical numbers to it which involved budgets and accounting – no one had submitted that report and passed it error free, not even the predecessor that was once in that job – but, I had done it with flying colors – THE FIRST TIME! then I was asked the question, “Are you married?” by another interviewer, a friend of the boss in whom they felt like was knowledgeable about the job. I said No, and they both looked at each other like it was a crime to be a single mother and have a demanding job. All in all when the interview was over, they said decisions would be made tomorrow and that was it.

Tomorrow came and I was asked to come into the office, I was told later that a deputy was called in (just in case I got upset, in which is so out of my character but that was the way the authority figure was in that job – they would make hasty decisions and then call security, because they loved drama) once I sat down – I was told that I didn’t get the job and that they were sorry, they found someone else more qualified. I took a deep breath and said “Ok, is that all?” They said yes and I got up from my seat and walked out. I was told later that they were nervous because they didn’t know what I was going to do – but I had no intentions of doing anything. That was one incident out of many, many, many more incidents that happened while I was there but I continued to stay, in hopes that maybe they would see me differently and see that I really was a good worker, I worked with people whom came in the door one day and watched them take the job that I so desired, seems like the next – but I kept a good attitude through it all. So, you might say – well why did you stay? And my answer for that is “I wanted to see that authority figure fail” I wanted to see them get what they deserved because they had not only mistreated me but many other people in the process – everyone was tired of it, but no one had the power or the guts to stand up to them. I wanted God to allow me to stay so I can see them get payback for every wrong thing that they had done……what I failed to realize was this famous scripture “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord, I will repay” Romans 12:19 KJV you see, while I was sitting and waiting on them to “get theirs” I was holding my own self back from moving forwards. Suddenly, years had passed by and I was still holding on to seeing them get their “revenge”

Staying there to see the “action” unfold had literally kept me in bondage – I had applied for other jobs and had good leads but didn’t take them, I just couldn’t let go. We can’t make someone pay for the things or the wrong doing that they’ve inflicted on us, we truly have to leave that to God. I felt the urge from God to move many times, but I had grown so accustomed to what my mind wanted to do – I ignored his voice. When God says move, we have to move or we’ll waste unnecessary energy and time in the dry place and not our new place which is flowing with milk, honey and less headaches.

I don’t know what place you’re in right now or what situation you’re facing that may be causing you to stay in the same place but let me tell you – God left a long time ago and if you want the “new” blessings he has for you – then you have to leave the place that’s got you stuck. God can’t and won’t bless us if we continue to stay in the same situation, especially when he has provided a way of escape for us to get out.

After years of being waste deep in swamp land, I finally put my faith into action; I brought some boxes to work, went into my office and began to take my things off the walls and box them up; I then told the lord that I was finally ready to move on. While it hurt me deeply to leave, I knew that it was the best move and I have to say, while moving forward has had it’s ups and downs – God has given me more than what I had before and has put me in places and in front of people that I wouldn’t have met or experienced had I had stayed in that dry place. And when I finally left?, God did exactly what he wanted to do, Vengeance really was his, I just had to get out of his way and let him pick up the tab.