I’ve spent my life speaking to God but very little time listening. I’ve always felt confident that I was making the correct life choices. I remember so vividly asking God to perform a miracle and cure my legs. When I became diabetic I thought it was a display of God’s humor. I looked up and said, “Okay is this your way of changing my focus or have you just gotten tired of the same request.” God and I never had a conversation. I did all the talking and until recently no listening.
For the third time in 10 years, I’ve found myself out of work. Actually I’ve been out of work a lot in my career but that’s typical when you work for small high tech companies. Many fail or get bought out and move. This time is going to be different. Eight years ago I started writing the book I’m writing now and I never got very far. This time I started and decided to stay with it. That was eight months ago. Six months after I started the book I got the phone call that my services weren’t needed.
My first reaction was to start looking for another job. In fact, I had already started the process months earlier because the company I worked for had been bought out by a French company and I had a suspicion that the company would close the US operations. Once I got serious about looking for work some opportunities came available. One was very promising but the position is in Massachusetts and we’re not ready to leave Florida.
One day Cheryl said to me, “What are you doing; how many times do you have to be hit on the head?” Of course, that got my attention. I decided I better ask some questions. It’s bad enough I have selective loss of hearing but to completely ignore my wife; not a chance. What Cheryl was suggesting was that God might have been trying to get my attention AGAIN and maybe I ought to pay attention. I stopped talking and struggling and listened for a change. What I was hearing was that I needed to stop and start looking for a literary agent.
Now I’m not saying I stopped looking for work. The agency responsible for unemployment compensation might be listening. What I am saying is that I’m staying on course. I will get the book published and I will listen rather than do all the talking. For the first time, in many many years I feel like I’m being obedient. Now I know why my head hurts.
For the third time in 10 years, I’ve found myself out of work. Actually I’ve been out of work a lot in my career but that’s typical when you work for small high tech companies. Many fail or get bought out and move. This time is going to be different. Eight years ago I started writing the book I’m writing now and I never got very far. This time I started and decided to stay with it. That was eight months ago. Six months after I started the book I got the phone call that my services weren’t needed.
My first reaction was to start looking for another job. In fact, I had already started the process months earlier because the company I worked for had been bought out by a French company and I had a suspicion that the company would close the US operations. Once I got serious about looking for work some opportunities came available. One was very promising but the position is in Massachusetts and we’re not ready to leave Florida.
One day Cheryl said to me, “What are you doing; how many times do you have to be hit on the head?” Of course, that got my attention. I decided I better ask some questions. It’s bad enough I have selective loss of hearing but to completely ignore my wife; not a chance. What Cheryl was suggesting was that God might have been trying to get my attention AGAIN and maybe I ought to pay attention. I stopped talking and struggling and listened for a change. What I was hearing was that I needed to stop and start looking for a literary agent.
Now I’m not saying I stopped looking for work. The agency responsible for unemployment compensation might be listening. What I am saying is that I’m staying on course. I will get the book published and I will listen rather than do all the talking. For the first time, in many many years I feel like I’m being obedient. Now I know why my head hurts.
Ouch!
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