No hands on the wheel
Petrol prices went up by 30 cents today. I shan't complain that I am swamped with work. (EVEN IF IT IS TRUE!) Work is good. Work will enable me to pay for petrol :P
I feel like I'm truly "living by faith" this year. Like I've said before, when I quit my job at the end of Dec, I didn't have anything else lined up. I metaphorically threw my hands up in surrender and told God, "Okay, God, I give up! I'll do whatever You want. Guide me!"
Of course, at that point I thought God would bring me into the teaching profession. But I applied and no positions were open to me. Then the NGO job came along. I more or less jumped at the opportunity because firstly, it's an organisation I've been volunteering with for the past three years, it's a cause I believe in, and I needed the money (okay, I admit that last one influenced my decision more than the first two put together!).
After I heard the salary they were offering me and did some assiduous calculations, I figured I could live on it, but would have to be much more careful with my spending than I've ever had to be since I graduated & started working four years ago. I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if I could somehow generate some side income to supplement my salary?"
I considered giving tuition; that is, offering personal coaching to students outside of schooling hours. But I didn't know how to get or find students, and I didn't want to advertise by pasting my phone number on 7-11 notice boards. Coz you never know who might call, or whether the caller is legit.
Then I remembered something my church cell group leader shared once. She said people had approached her and asked her to coach them in their studies. So I kinda mentioned this to God and asked Him to send me some students. Mind you, I didn't seriously pray about it. I just mentioned it to God in passing, as it were.
He did something even better -- He sent me the writing job! It pays well, is for the duration of 6 months, and I get to work from home. If I were to teach, I'd have to have many many MANY students to earn the equivalent amount. Amazing, eh?
I'm seeing God bring opportunities to me and provide for me in ways I couldn't imagine. Graduates Christian Fellowship (the NGO) is a para-church organisation, so you could actually say I've gone into (so-called) "full-time ministry". I can hardly believe it myself. Meanwhile, Blink has quit his job to join Scripture Union, another para-church organisation. So BOTH of us are going into "full-time ministry". His was a considered decision; mine was an accident!
That's why I say I'm sorta "living by faith" this year. I don't have plans. I don't have an agenda. I don't have any sort of goal. I'm relying on God to take me where He will. It's scary and sort of exhilarating at the same time. I don't have a clue what I'm doing or where I'm going. I also don't know what God is doing, but I'll let Him worry about that!