"When everything falls apart your arms hold me together. When everything falls apart you're the only hope for this heart…" (Everything Fails by Fee)


"Can you see my hands open, I am waiting just ahead. And you think you need it all now; but you needed me instead." (Shine On by Needtobreath) 

This past week I had to make a very BIG decision. I have a job working on Sundays. I don't work that much… but I pick up extra days when I can. The days that I pick up are normally on Saturdays or Sundays of the opposite weekend. I some how got myself schedule the next 5 Sundays in a row. So while I was driving to school 2 weeks ago I felt this anxiety and had this thought that I need to quit my job. Random!! I didn't understand because my job is a good paying job, and I haven't ever had a problem with my work before. Heck, I even enjoy my job! But I continued praying about this anxiousness that was in my heart, because I didn't understand it. So I decided to try getting off work that upcoming Sunday but I couldn’t. So I went to work… that night I came home and cried to my mom saying to her how upset I was that I didn't have the opportunity to go to church and that I hate missing it! I didn't understand why I was feeling this way… Like why was it suddenly hitting me?Then I tried to get off this past Sunday the 6th. I was able to find someone, but she wasn't allowed to cover for me because it was going to be overtime for her. After hearing that I decided this was the sign that I was praying for. I just couldn’t continue working Sundays. It is the day I go and worship my GOD with my fellow believers. I called my work on Tuesday and gave them my 2 weeks notice. Then I went and talked to my boss. He told me that I could actually have off the 6th! But I had already resigned. I took this as another sign that I did the right thing. Because if I would have gotten off I wouldn’t have quit. So I went to church on Sunday! I was so excited to be there. I prayed before I went in saying… "God show me truth today." My pastor spoke about how Satan tries to distract us when we are doing God's will. He tries to get us down and make us stray away from God. I realized this is what my job was doing to me, and God placed it upon my heart to leave. So that I can grow more in my faith. I am oddly the happiest person right now that I have quit my job. I know I should probably be freaking out because I am jobless and going on this trip in September, but I'm not! Peace has come upon me and I know that God will provide another job for me. One that won't distract me from following Him and growing. All I can say now is HERE I AM LORD, USE ME! Show me what my next steps are! I'm going to take one day at a time.
"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58)


"My son, if you accept my words
 and store up my commands within you, 
turning your ear to wisdom
 and applying your heart to understanding
indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
 and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
 and find the knowledge of God. 
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:1-6)
love you Beckah!!! im so proud of you – its always hard to pick between two things you love 🙂 but Gods DEFINATELY going to reward you for picking the right one and honoring Him 🙂 Him before everything else, right?! right. love you!
Beckah,
Way to go! Those good distractions serve Satan well. Thank you for being courageous and taking a stand for God. Stepping away from something you love is tough, but knowing the reason you are stepping away is a blessing from God. Thanks for sharing your heart and God has some amazing things waiting for you. Be patient.
Beckah! I am so proud of you! Everything is taken care of! Our God is a good Daddy! He has a plan and in time will show you what to do as you prepare to leave this September! Just keep taking time daily to be still in His presence, and you will be amazed at all He will show you!
Beckah, Congratulations on not only honoring God but trusting in Him. “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
Yes! YES! YES!!! You made the RIGHT BIG DECISION, Beckah! It brings tears to my eyes to hear of a young person who is passionately pursuing God like you are. You put God FIRST and obeyed the promptings of the Lord!!! Praise His Name!!!
Your story is so typical of how the Lord works in our lives…when we welcome Him to do so. You felt something stirring deep inside of you. Thoughts ran through your mind. You didn’t understand. Why this…and why now??? You prayed about the matter and asked for the Lord’s help. He heard you and He helped you to sort out your priorities…and to put the eternal matters above the temporal things…the spiritual matters above the physical things. Jobs and money will come and go through out your life, Beckah. It is your walk with God and doing His will that will continue on through out your life…both now and eternally.
I like your decisiveness. You determined that “you could not continue working on Sundays….as it is the day that you go and worship your GOD with your fellow believers.” Then you took action: You called and gave your 2-weeks notice that you are quitting. You put GOD in His rightful FIRST place…above a job that you enjoyed and one that paid you well. That decision says a lot to me about your level of faith and your absolute obedience and commitment to God. He will reward you and take care of you, Beckah….when you follow Him completely, like that.
A token of God’s faithfulness to His obedient children occurred on Sunday…when you prayerfully entered the Church service desiring to hear from God. What a powerful message that was. Your Pastor uncovered the truth about some of the enemy’s tactics. The enemy certainly wants to distract us and divert us from God…and from His perfect plan for our lives. The enemy will present bait of all sorts in front of us…carefully chosen to appeal to us. It can be money/possessions, pleasures, comfort, sports, popularity, security, hurt feelings, disappointments, disagreements, etc. We need to continually keep our attention focused on the Lord and on His Word…the source of Truth. By so doing, we will be victorious in our daily spiritual warfare.
You are also experiencing a wonderful reward/fringe benefit that comes to us when we follow God….namely a deep, unexplainable PEACE, regardless of circumstances. We have a deeply comforting and reassuring peace when we know that we are living in the center of God’s will!
Beckah, God knows everything. So…He knows what you wrote in this your blog message. He is aware of the fact that you have publicly stated: “HERE I AM LORD, USE ME!” He knows that you want to “follow Him and grow in Him.” He LOVES you and wants to fulfill these desires of your heart!!! One day at a time…He will do it!
By the way, I was in a similar situation as you, when I was about your age. I was torn between being pressured to work on Sundays at the Pittsburgh International Airport…and being in Church on Sunday mornings. My job paid very well and I loved working at the Airport. I made Church my priority…and have never regretted my choice. The Lord has wonderfully provided all of my needs over the years. I will also say that I was left with a personal conviction to minimize doing unnecessary business on Sundays. I don’t like to shop or eat out on Sunday…as that causes businesses to open…and that causes people to work on Sundays…when they should have an opportunity to worship the Lord. Your blog message resonated with me in a special way!
–Jim Elliott
“He is no fool who
gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.”
Mark 8:34-37
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them,
“If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s
will save it.
For what does it profit a man
to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
For what can a man give in return for his soul?”
Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Philippians 4:4—9
Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, Rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand;
do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers,
whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is just,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is commendable,
if there is any excellence,
if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
What you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me–
practice these things, and
the God of peace will be with you.
Neighbor Dan