You knew this post was coming, so I might as well get it all out of my system now. It is of course about my job hunt and my struggles while waiting for God to bring the right job to me. Warning: This will probably be long.
If you recall, in a past post I mentioned that I was struggling with finding my place as a wife and as a money-earner. While in the process of getting married, I was also interviewing for a salaried graphic design position. I would be making loads more than Nick brings in each month, and we were excited about being about to build up a savings and think about being able to think about bringing larger items into our lives, like a new car and getting a house. I know that Nick would have had his pride hurt by not being the one that "brings home the bacon" (and we do love bacon) but he did hope that I would get the job. I did too. I would felt pretty good about myself, going into work everyday in my business clothes and making lots of money.
Well, I went through 4 interviews and didn't get the job. I like to think it was because I didn't know how to use publisher and make other excuses, because I really don't know where I went wrong. Turns out I wasn't wrong at all. I was a little disappointed, but honestly I was relieved that I didn't have to become the financial leader in my family. I really don't care much about making a lot of money. I care more about having a good relationship with my husband and doing everything together. I really thought I would get the job, but I knew without a doubt when I didn't get it, after God had opened all of those doors, that there was something else that God had in store for me. That he had a perfect job out there for me. So I decided to wait. I waited for about a month and wasted many days. There isn't much to do when you have already moved in, your husband is away all day at work, you don't have internet enough to do anything, and you don't have any money. I finally mustered up the energy to start applying a few places. I waited a little longer and nothing happened. Every time I thought I had a chance, someone wouldn't answer the phone, or some other thing got in the way. I started making trips to coffee shops to use the internet and get out of the house.
Here is the second part of the story. If you know me at all, you know how much I love coffee shops. After spending so much time at the Third Place in Jr High and High school, I just could not really feel at home unless I was sitting with a cup of coffee, doing homework, or working on my computer; listening to the quiet mummer of people around me, and the music in the background. The sound of the baristas making tasty concoctions behind the counter. I love it. I always thought I would be a barista someday.
When I moved after college to the city, I looked and looked for a coffee shop that I could feel at home in. There is practically a Starbucks on every corner, which is ok, but the atmosphere is not the easy going, welcoming type I was looking for. Plus they all close early. All of the non-corporate shops were downtown, in areas I didn't want to go at night, and the one I did go to visit, was so intensely "hipster," and the building so small, that there was no way I could fit in and relax. I had heard of another coffee shop, but thought that I was downtown like all of the others. It was however, open until midnight unlike many of the others. I looked up their website and discovered they had a location near where I was, in a really nice area. The man and I packed up our laptops and ventured over an hour and a half before they were to close. I cannot tell you how happy I was to walk in those doors for the first time. It was roomy and clean, with SO MANY OUTLETS!!! At Starbucks, they must have a restriction to 2 power outlets per store. It is stupid. Anyway, it made me happy. We stayed there till closing time and I came back almost every day that week. During our first night there, I discovered you could apply online really easily, so I thought, what the heck, why not? I finished applying minutes before they closed.
Earlier this week, I got a call. It was from the shop. I was surprised, but very happy. I went in for an interview yesterday morning. The main manager was out sick, but she had told the general manager that she was interested in my graphic design. The GM told me that she gets all of the applications, but sometimes the main manger will send her the ones she really likes and wants to interview. I was one of them. I was super happy to hear that! She said there was a good chance of me being hired, but she would have to talk to her boss first. I had to go take a 2 hour class to get a food handlers license (city law), which was easy and when I called the GM to let her know I had it, she told me she would call me the next day (today) about job details. And she did. I was told that I had to job offer, for several dollars over min wage and 30 hours a week. I would work as a barista and also a graphic designer. Can you think of a more perfect job? I suddenly started getting other job offers right after I finished my interview. I turned them down, even though they would have been the kind of jobs I wanted originally.
It was really hard to wait 3 months for the perfect job to come around. I knew that God was bringing me a good job, that I would love, but I didn't know when or what kind of job. It was really, really hard to wait. I was wasting away, each day sleeping in because I didn't have anything to do, and depressing myself into a hole. I was trying to become a good wife and be on a schedule with my husband, but I could not seem to do it the way I was envisioning. I told God about a week ago, I know you are doing something. I can feel you doing it, but I just cannot wait anymore. I am dying from the inside out. I have no energy and my only joy is seeing my husband for a few hours until he crashes after a long day of work, and I lay awake all night. Not in those exact words, but that is the gist. The control freak inside of me made it difficult, but I could feel God cooking up something for me. And he did. I start training on Monday. I am nervous, because it is a new job, but I am so excited to learn more about the job and the life that he has provided for me!
