Chatty Lu-Lu's

I was laid off from my job in August where I was a strategic communications/marketing/business development support specialist for a small (and dysfunctional) federal contractor.  However, as I write this and reflect back on the number of roles I played within the company, it is likely that I was a bit dysfunctional too. 

That being said, I’ll get back to the point behind this post. 

Knowing the state of the economy right now, I am well aware that I am not the only person suffering from job loss or the depression that accompanies such a reality.  But, for those of you who are gainfully employed, you’d be surprised how quickly you can plummet into a downward spiral of despair when you lose a vital part of your identity.  Not that I believe a job or career should define you, but it does play a fundamental part in how you view yourself as a contributor, not only to your immediate family, but to society as a whole. 

When you find yourself unemployed, you begin to question your value and how you contribute to the greater good. It’s discouraging and demoralizing when you conclude you don’t. And it is even more exasperating when you begin to wonder how long it will be before you do again.  The anxiety and fear can drive you to a point of desperation and for some, to the brink of insanity. I was on that edge. Luckily, I realized how precarious my situation was and in a frantic effort to find some faith, I went to Borders Bookstore. 

There, I found my friend Jabez.

I went directly to the inspirational/self-improvement section assuming that I would certainly find something that spoke to me there.   Upon first glance, I found the typical and obviously placed choices. Please understand I believe there is a book to benefit everyone.  But I didn’t want a how-to book on finding faith or believing in oneself.  I needed something more specific to me, with a more personalized message. 

I was about to give up when something caught my eye.  I’m not sure what it was about that little book because it was hidden in the shelf, tucked away between two books of much larger size.  Perhaps it was the fact it looked lost, which was precisely how I was feeling, that moved me. Whatever it was, I pulled it out and read the cover. Immediately, the tears began to flow. It was exactly what I needed to see and exactly what I was searching for.

The book is part of “The Breakthrough Series.” Written by Bruce Wilkinson, it is titled, The Prayer of Jabez. What captured my attention was the fine print underneath the title. It read, ”Breaking Through to a Blessed Life.”  That was what I was on the verge of—a breakthrough, not to an ordinary life, but to a far greater life—a blessed one.

I can’t explain exactly why, but almost immediately my focus shifted from how I didn’t have a job, to the fact that I had control over my fate. It became clear to me that I was literally at a crossroads and I had a choice. I could settle for a life of resignation and find work that simply paid the bills. Or, I could go out and seek the life I was made for. 

I chose the latter. 

I read the prayer at the back of the book every morning before I start my day. It keeps me focused and centered on the belief that I was made for something significant.  All that is required of me is to pray for it and then have faith that what I ask for will happen.