Keep Not Settling
First published February 13, 2017
When you are single, everyone likes to give you advice.
I should change my hair, change my religion, change my career. I should pack up all my change and spend more time at the Laundromat. (That's my favorite). It's also an awful lot of rearranging.
And if it's not advice, it's 'I'm sorry' - as in 'I feel so sorry for you because you're still single'. And that raises a few questions. Do you think those words make me feel good? Do you think because something hasn't happened yet that it never will? At the end of my life, will I be more proud of my marital status, or that I ran the race well?
The God who created the universe laid down the blueprints of my life *before* the foundation of time. Pretty important stuff. And when it's over, the two of us will look back together at what I built, husband or no husband.
Will have I made the tough choices, trusting the architect knows best? Will I have shown others the love he has shown me? I won't be satisfied until he knows I can be counted on to help those around me see their worth through his eyes - because look at the value he's *already* placed on me.
Sometimes, the pity and advice are combined, as in 'It's okay to hope, but don't hope too much, ya know, just in case...'
Just a couple months ago, I was staring down three job offers in one week, and found myself walking away from a job I had been praying and hoping for - for years - because after I let God do what he does best, it was no longer good enough for me. I would have loved for the answer to come sooner, but when I look at where I am now, and I see all the details that were worked out before I arrived on the scene, I understand the reason for the wait.
And this was just a job. How much more carefully do you think he takes care of our hearts?
Here's the thing - that God, the one holding the blueprints, and the universe, and the foundation of time - you either believe he can do anything or you don't. When it comes to us and the love he has for us, there are no categories for our dreams as if we should expect some not to happen because they are too hard for him.
If he loves us enough to sacrifice his only son, then all bets are off. I would never pity someone who was loved that much.
By design, in life and in love, the grand scheme doesn't leave a lot of room for sorry.
P.S. You can keep the change.
Where Hope is Found
First published June 13, 2016
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. - Acts 17:24
What started off like any other weekend two days ago has ended with death, division, and more questions than answers.
When a twenty-two year old singer is gunned down after her concert, we mourn a life cut short and what might have been. So much promise. A brilliant voice silenced. We don’t know the reason, but now her family knows a loss like no other.
When 50 people are gunned down and more than that injured in the name of terror, we feel violated and wonder what this world is coming to. We demand justice. Lines are drawn and political sides are taken.
When police arrest a man with guns and explosives on his way to a parade, preventing who knows what, we want to know when enough is enough.
And where is hope in all of this?
If our hope relies on a future we can’t see, we will be disappointed. If our hope is in the laws and our government, we may not like the outcome. If our hope is in the goodness of humanity, we will always be let down. If we base our hope on how things look in the world, our hearts will constantly be filled with fear and discouragement.
Our anchor needs something that will hold.
It’s not in anything this world can offer, but in Christ who offered himself in exchange for the world. He holds our lives in his hands – where our names are permanently etched in his scars. He knows the beginning from the end and comforts us when we’re brokenhearted. He never promised us life without pain or unanswered questions, but he did promise to walk with us in the midst of them, and be the one thing that remains unchanged. The one constant in the trials.
He also promised a day when all would be made right again, and everything would come to order. An end to the chaos. Until that day, we need to stay close to Christ who is constant. We need to pray for those who don’t know his security.
And we need to always remember where our hope is found.
Christina Grimmie singing "In Christ Alone".
My Cup Runneth Over
First published June 1, 2016
I’ve been hearing it a lot lately. People who are blessed and the reasons why.
They got the promotion, so they’re blessed. They closed on the house, so they’re blessed. They met the man of their dreams, so now they’re beyond blessed.
Recently a friend told me his life had turned out exactly as he imagined it would. He had everything he ever wanted. He was so blessed.
How then should we feel if our lives haven’t turned out exactly as we imagined? What should our heart response be when we don’t seem to be beyond blessed or even a little blessed?
A blessing is defined as a special favor, mercy, or benefit. The word blessed is described as consecrated, sacred, holy, and sanctified, worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship.
While it’s true that we always have something to be grateful for, I think blessing came to us long before we got everything we never knew we always wanted.
Being blessed is never tied to something or someone we’re hoping for. I think we need to stop waiting for answered prayers and start seeing ourselves as already blessed. Because we are.
I recently spent some time in the book of Romans. Five days to be exact. It’s only 10 paragraphs long, but I found myself pausing many times along the way when I realized where my blessings have been all along and why it’s ok when things on the surface of my life don’t appear blessed.
When I Don’t Fit In
It’s hard to feel blessed when you’re different. My work looks different. My family looks different. My life looks very different. Different isn’t a bad thing, but it’s very easy to be overlooked and excluded when what you bring to the table is worlds away from what others think it should be. Romans talks about the Holy Spirit bringing us our adoption and testifying that we are God’s children. This makes us co-heirs with Christ. We’re not just accepted and ushered in the back door. We’re given a seat at the head table. We are deeply valued by the One who created the universe. It's not about what I bring to the table. I am loved by the person who built the table!
When I Don’t Know What to Say
Sometimes I don’t have the words. When I’m talking to God, I want him to take me seriously. I want him to know I mean business and that I won’t go down without a fight. But sometimes, I have no fight left. When I don’t know what to say, even to God, I feel like a failure. And that doesn’t make me feel blessed. Romans tells us that when we don’t even have words to say, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with wordless groans. I have someone approaching God on my behalf for everything I need. And he doesn’t even need words.
When I Don’t Know How it Will Work Out
The last few years have been confusing to say the least. I don’t have a clear sense of what I’m doing or where I’m headed – in so many areas of my life. When I can’t see the path in front of me and there is no real sense of order in my life, I don’t feel blessed, I feel like a mess. Romans talks about God working all things together for the good of those who love him. But there’s more. (I love when there’s more). It’s also those who have been called according to his purpose. Those he foreknew, he also predestined. This means we have all been called for a reason. There are no accidents with God. To have the foreknowledge to predestine someone for a purpose takes a lot of care. This was well thought out. Which means you were well thought out.
When I Don’t Feel Loved
Having someone to go through life with is one of life’s greatest joys. But when you travel on this journey alone, it can leave you feeling unwanted and unloved. Life without love doesn’t feel very blessed. Like any great love story, Romans ends with a love that conquers all. It reminds us that when God was considering the cost of making us his, he didn’t even think to spare his own son. Nothing and no one was too high a price. Christ Jesus died for us, but more than that (I love when there’s more), was raised to life. He did more than pay our ransom. He went a step further and came back to be with us so we wouldn’t be alone. So we wouldn’t just have a story about something nice someone we’ve never met did once to save us. We would have him.
Who can separate us from a love like that? We’ve been adopted and included. We have someone to speak on our behalf when we don’t know what to say. We were well thought out and predestined for a purpose. Most of all we are loved. Beyond a shadow of a doubt or the seal on a grave. We are loved not by someone who fought an army, but by someone who defeated death itself. After all of this, is there anything that can stop him from fitting all the jagged-edged pieces of my life together? Am I not already blessed?
Nothing in my life so far has turned out like I thought it would. Not. One. Thing. But I carry with me always the ultimate blessing.
My cup runneth over.
Always on Time
First published March 22, 2016
I was reminded today (once again) that if I don’t hurry up and find someone, it will be too late.
Too late.
It has such a severe sound to it. “Too” before anything is usually a bad thing. Too big, too small, too far, too hot, too much. Too late.
And I wonder what it will be too late for. If it’s checking a box off a list to say I completed something by a certain time, than yes, it may be too late. But, if it’s to have something that’s meant for my life, then no, it will not be too late.
What’s meant for us will not pass us by.
"Hurry up" doesn’t invoke feelings of peace either. Nothing hurried is ever enjoyable. And we miss things along the way. Some of my favorite memories are the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline at sunset or a lazy Sunday afternoon on the deck with a cup of coffee and a favorite book and the sunlight spilling over all of it.
None of my favorite memories are of rushed days or traffic jams or endlessly ringing phones or deadlines just met by the skin of my teeth. Those memories get deleted quickly. They hold nothing of value for me. Those days just feel wrong. The days that unfold naturally are the ones that feel right.
And while a certain time may come and go, it doesn’t mean we pass by the right destination.
If you miss a bus, you can take a cab. If you miss your plane, you can take a car. Wherever you’re headed will still be there. Its coordinates on the map don’t change. You’re just arriving at another time and in another way.
We all reach our destinations differently, and it’s often in the not yet that we are being prepared for just the right time.
This makes me think of Moses. An Israelite baby sent down the Nile in a wicker basket to save his life, he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. Raised in a palace and trained to be a warrior, who better to then rescue the Israelites from slavery? But when he murdered an Egyptian to save one of his Israelite brothers, he became a wanted man and fled to the wilderness where he spent the next 40 years.
To anyone on the outside looking in, it would seem he was a failure. It would seem he was too late. How could he save them now?
But look a little closer at the story and you’ll see that while Moses was indeed a great warrior, it would not be enough to simply rescue the people from Egypt. They would have to flee to somewhere before arriving at the promised land. And that somewhere was a whole lot of wilderness.
What seemed like his ultimate undoing was actually a time to become who he needed to be to do what he was called to do.
He wasn’t too late at all. He was just getting started.
In fact, during that time in the wilderness he gained a wife and two sons. How about that? He lost a couple things, too, like his cockiness and his sense of self-entitlement. He came to learn not just how to survive, but to thrive.
When he did show up at Pharaoh’s throne to rescue his people, it was the right time for them, but it was the right time for him, too. He had always been ready to fight for his people, but now he was ready to lead them where they needed to go. Take away what appeared to be his detour in the desert and things might have gone a lot differently.
So what is it in your life that people keep saying it’s too late for?
Don’t let them rush you. Don’t think you’ve failed. That lost dream is most likely a starting point for a bigger dream. That wilderness you’re in is probably getting you ready for something in your future. Learn the lessons along the way. You haven’t been discarded – you’re being prepared. You may even gain some unexpected surprises in the process. Hopefully, you'll let go of some things that weigh you down.
And when the time is right – when you are ready – you will be grateful for everything that led you to that moment and the way you took to get there.
It’s not too late.
Isaiah 55:9
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The Promise of a Silhouette in the Distance
First published October 14, 2015
I was thinking about Christopher Columbus this week. And not just because I had to work while everyone else got the day off.
I heard a radio personality mention how excited Columbus must have been when he finally found land.
How excited indeed.
It got me wondering about the entire journey and led me to do some research. It's easy to celebrate an end result without giving a second thought to how it came to be.
I discovered that Columbus proposed his voyage seven years before he actually went. He presented his plans of three sturdy, fully-equipped vessels to King John II of Portugal in 1485. The king submitted the proposal to his experts who rejected it after several years. I have difficulty waiting several months or even minutes to hear back about something I proposed.
I can't imagine the frustration of waiting years, and then hearing "no". But something made him try again.
In 1488, he traveled from Portugal to Spain to convince the Catholic monarchs there to finance the expedition. Great idea. If you can't get an answer out of one person, go ask another. Except, he wasn't granted an audience with King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Castile until 1489.
Another year. Gone.
Again he presented his plans. The Queen referred them to a committee (another committee!) who decided the idea was impractical, and advised the monarchs not to support it. I most definitely would have walked away at this point.
When decisions are left to committees, they often don't get decided. And still, something kept him going.
The next part of this chapter made me laugh. History tells us that Columbus continually nagged and begged asking the monarchs to support his plan at the royal court and endured two years of negotiations, before finally getting them to agree to fund his journey. The year was 1492.
I remember my mortgage negotiations and those only lasted a matter of weeks, at most. To wrestle over the details for 730 days had to have been agony. By now I'm sure he was shouting to anyone who would listen, "Just let me go!"
At 8:00 in the morning on August 3, 1492, Columbus departed from Castilian Palos de la Frontera with the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.
It must have felt so good to finally be on his way with all that open water in front of him. Sometimes, the process to start something takes so long that we think what comes after will come easily. And then it doesn't.
Three days into the journey, Pinta's rudder broke. If you're not familiar with ships, this is the part that keeps them level and steady. It's the balance. It prevents them from toppling over into the sea. No rudder, no ship. The crew was able to secure it with ropes until they reached a nearby island and could repair it. Crisis averted.
As Columbus was gathering provisions during this stop, he received word that three Portuguese ships were hovering around a nearby island with the intent of capturing him. I can't think of anything that would make me want to turn and run (or sail) in the other direction more than being captured, kidnapped, or carried away!
But he continued the next morning without incident. A few weeks later, barely one month into the voyage, Columbus realized his compass no longer pointed North. Didn't we just get the rudder fixed? Didn't we just escape imprisonment? Now, we have no direction.
When I am in unfamiliar territory, I rely heavily on my GPS to get me where I need to be. I'm lost without it. Literally lost, driving in circles, going up and down the same roads twice. That's the thing about the ocean - there are no street signs, no houses or stores, no way to know if you've been where you just were.
I would have really wanted to quit. Allegedly, the crew thought the same way, because at this point they threatened to sail back to Spain. But Columbus had quite the reputation as an astronomer and his skills gradually put them at ease.
As bad as being lost with no direction would have been, it's the living conditions on the ship that would have finished me for sure. This was worse than camping. And I don't camp.
Crew worked in four-hour shifts pumping bilge, clearing the deck, working the sails, and checking the ropes and cargo. When they were off duty, they slept where ever they could find a space. Columbus himself often spent days without sleep. Many sailors died from disease, hunger, and thirst. There was one hot meal a day.
Religion was the central focus of their lives - they began every day with prayers and hymns and ended with services at night.
One of the best parts of the story is that Columbus believed incorrect arguments that the Earth actually had a much smaller diameter, meaning his journey was longer than he realized. No ship in the 15th century could carry enough food and fresh water for such a journey.
Isn't it so good that we have a tendency to miscalculate? I wonder how often we just wouldn't start if we knew how long the journey was going to be.
So here he was.
Seven years of wrestling with the powers-that-be who told him he was crazy. Years of waiting. Years of negotiating. Finally getting to go. And then those travel conditions. Not enough food. Not enough water. Not nearly enough sleep and few places to even lay his head. Sickness and death all around him. An attempt on his life. A rudder that can't balance, but what difference does it make since the compass doesn't point North anyway?
Nothing but the ship's blank canvass and his prayers.
On October 10 the crew lost all patience. They were done, and they told Columbus as much. So often when you can't take another step, or sail one more mile, you need to pick up your feet or redirect your sail and keep going. When you've got nothing left, dig a little deeper, and keep going.
At 2:00 a.m. on October 12, 1492 - two days later - one of them spotted a silhouette off in the distance.
They hadn't arrived yet. They weren't suddenly made well. They didn't instantly have their stomachs filled with food and water. This is the big-smile part of the story because the silhouette meant there was hope. It's the somewhat blurred vision that means what had been hoped for is coming. It's possible.
Now, I'm not looking to discover a whole new world. Many of my immediate requests and desires are far less impacting than that. But I have spent time waiting and wrestling - waiting on God and wrestling with Him. I've spent nights not sleeping feeling like my balance is off and I have no direction. But my story isn't over yet.
Sometimes it seems like you will never find the things you know are out there. You mistake the fog and the darkness to mean you're a million miles from where you want to be. But you're not. If you give up in the middle, you'll never know. If you fail to start, you'll really never know. You will miss what's just up ahead. It's closer than you think. Often we are provided with a glimpse to give us just enough hope to hold on until the promise is within our grasp. Rest assured, morning is coming.
How happy Columbus must have been when he finally stepped off that ship.
Lean In Part 2
First published September 25, 2015
If it matters to you, it matters to God. And when it comes to God, sometimes not doing is the best thing we can do.
I'm a little emotional as I write this because it deals with feelings that have recently hit close to home: how frustrating it feels when I can't fix something myself, and how scared I feel when I have to put something in someone else's hands.
In my last post, I talked about the importance of learning to lean in to situations at work, or even entire jobs, that are uncomfortable or undesirable - how when we do this, no part of whatever we are experiencing will be wasted. It may even be preparing us for something better in the future.
It should come as no surprise that when I love what I'm doing, and I'm doing good work, I seriously lean in - almost to the point of toppling over. What I mean is that it's not a stretch for me to suggest getting great at a job you're not thrilled with because whether things are good or bad, I'm a bit of a workaholic.
Work is my thing.
The problem comes when I start believing that it's my work alone that can change my circumstances. For the last few years, I've tried tirelessly to alter a course I'm on, and every time I get close enough to touch it, I wake up still in the same lane.
The truth is I can learn all I am able to about a job and do difficult things with a smile. I can be the best example of a dedicated employee and leave things better than I found them. I can lean in as close as I can get, but underneath it there is still hurt, confusion, and sometimes bitterness about the wrong turn that led me here in the first place. The only thing that will change the heart of the matter - change the heart in me - is prayer.
Prayer is leaning in to God.
Prayer is not something that comes easily to a take-charge kind of woman like me. I like my house in order, my finances in order, and especially my career in order. After all, I spend more time at work than anywhere else. I always have a plan and two to back it up. Prayer sometimes feels like I'm sitting on my hands. How can anything change if I'm not doing anything?
Giving my current situation over to prayer at first felt like a forfeiture. The dictionary defines the word as something that is lost or given up as punishment or because of a rule or law. Letting go of my 'right' to fight this on my own really felt like a punishment. I had lost. But there is a difference between forfeiting and surrendering. Surrender is the act of giving control to someone else and allowing yourself to be influenced by that person.
Surrender is agreeing to stop fighting because you know you will not win.
In all my fighting and striving to make things right, I had to reach a point where it became apparent: I am not going to win this. Not on my own.
God talks a lot about surrender. I am reminded in Matthew 6:26 to look at the birds. They never work or store food, and still God takes care of them. I am certainly more valuable than the birds. Later, Matthew 11:30 tells me that God's yoke is easy and his burden is light. Surrendering to God in prayer means that I experience a sense of peace because now He is doing the work that only He can. The work that I'm not meant to do.
And if that weren't enough, Philippians 4:6 takes all the guesswork out of it: Worry about nothing. Pray about everything.
Everything is a lot. And even work is included.
If it's something you would normally worry about, then it's fair game. Your job, your boss, your promotion, your presentation, your co-workers....I could go on, but the point is that some of these worries will be small and some will be big. Some will be so very big that they keep you awake at night wondering how one paycheck will last until the next one or how you will ever find your way back to work that makes your face light up whenever you talk about it - because it's that good.
When the worry comes in, it's time to lean in.
I just started a new Bible study that was written by Priscilla Shirer who also stars in the movie War Room. The film looks at the life of a family who seems to have it all, but is crumbling underneath. The wife then meets Miss Clara and is encouraged to establish a war room in her home - essentially a place where she can do battle in prayer.
Even though I'm only one session in to the Bible study, I can already tell this book will soon be tattered and the binding broken. Entitled, 'The Armor of God', it looks at the very real enemy of God who would like nothing more than to see me worry about work, and fight to make it right on my own, and hide in my pride so I never ask for help - so I never pray.
Just flipping through it I can see it's going to encourage me to write strategies for my prayers, to post them where I can be reminded of them, and above all, have a quiet space where I can pray them through. This will be where I lean in to God about a crushed career and hopeless hopes, and of course many other things that have nothing to do with work. It will be where I surrender (not forfeit) because I have human limits to what I can accomplish and how far I can go.
But God doesn't.
When I'm at my weakest, He is still strong. And the more I lean in to my prayers, the more I lean in to God, the smaller the circumstances will seem, and the knowledge that He will take care of it all will fill the whole room. Unlike my own energy that drains after a time, and becomes fatigued when I've been spinning my wheels too long, I can lean in to God whenever I want. Over and over. About everything. And unlike my resources, His can never be exhausted.
Lean in by praying - that is your work. Winning the battle is God's.
The Liebster Award
First published September 2, 2015
I launched my blog this past Sunday. Today (Tuesday), I was nominated for the Liebster Award!
The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers, usually those with less than 200 followers, by other bloggers as a way to support one another as we grow our blogs.
I want to thank Mandie Wickham for nominating me. Definitely check out The Yellow Dog and Pink Pig. She's got a little something for everyone!
While it may seem like this all came together quickly, it's been a very long time in the making, as most good work is. A career choice I made a few years ago left me feeling disillusioned and not quite sure of myself. At a conference I recently attended I stumbled upon this obscure little sign tucked away in a corner near registration. It read, "All my yesterdays gave me today."
I instantly thought of Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Yes, you have been called and yes, you have a purpose.
It might take a long time and it might mean walking through some difficult circumstances, but then - usually suddenly and all at once - things will begin to fall into place and start to make sense again. It can sometimes take years of yesterdays until you reach your today. I may still be brand new at this, and nothing may ever come of it, but just starting this blog was the culmination of a lot of yesterdays for me.
Moving on to my nomination, these are the questions Mandie asked me to answer:
1. What is the name of your blog and what is it’s significance? - My blog is called Good Work. When you think about the number of hours in a day, most of them are spent at work. I want this to be a place women feel comfortable talking about their professional lives, while I also share my experiences and stories. I also wanted to create a space that allows us all to share our passions and our successes - it's great to love what you do!
2. What would be the title of your autobiography? - Great question! You have me stumped. When I write it, I'll let you know. :-)
3. What is one thing you cannot live without? - Water! I usually aim for 8-10 glasses a day. It's an absolute must to keep me running on all cylinders.
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Your blog? - I hope I continue to have opportunities to do good work - both full-time in my career, as well as volunteering. My passion is public relations, but it feels so much better when I'm using it to help people. I would also love to have a family. As for my blog, I would like to see how the first month goes (haha). Obviously, it would be wonderful if it grew, although I don't think I could make it my full-time job. I need to be in an office with people.
5. What movie star would you want to cast as yourself? - Probably either Cameron Diaz or Reese Witherspoon. I love their spunkiness and they both have a great sense of humor.
While I want to encourage all you new bloggers to keep pursuing your passion, there are a few I want to nominate for this award. They are:
Abby - Get Out Dear
Stephanie - Sense of Sunny
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
Ladies, here are some questions I have for you:
What made you want to start your blog?
What has given you the most sense of accomplishment and why?
What is one thing you love to do in your down time?
If you could give advice to someone who is about to start a blog, what would it be?
If your best friend had to pick one word to describe you, what would it be?
Each of these ladies inspired me differently as I explored their blogs, and I encourage you to visit their sites and leave them some love for all the good work they're doing!
Abby, Stephanie, and Chrissa - there are a few guidelines if you would like to nominate someone:
Post your nomination to your blog.
Answer the questions asked by the person who nominated you.
Nominate a small group of other new bloggers.
Ask them several questions.
Don't forget to give a shout out to the person who nominated you.
Thanks again to Mandie for your nomination! I'm excited about this new adventure and seeing where it may lead!
Forget the Past
First published August 17, 2015
The other night I couldn’t sleep. Thoughts kept running through my mind about my job. I took a chance on something I thought would be an amazing opportunity and it ended up being so far from amazing.
If only…
My thoughts keep me awake. I feel restless and anxious. I toss and turn and watch the minutes go by - robbed of my sleep and robbed of my peace.
Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes we miss a deadline. We speak when we should stay quiet. We slack off when we should stay late. Sometimes the mistake affects us on a larger scale. Our title changes, our finances change, and when this happens our life can drastically change. The key is to not let one mistake (even a big one) keep us awake at night.
When I realized the thoughts weren’t going away on their own, I did something we should all do when the night lacks sleep and peace. I quieted myself before God, and I opened His word. If you don’t have the Bible app on your phone, I highly recommend it. Not only does it offer numerous devotionals and studies, but it has this awesome bookmark feature that allows you to save your favorite verses and refer back to them any time.
God showed me a verse I saved months ago in Isaiah (43:18-19)… ‘Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.’
How can I forget about what’s happened? What if it’s more than not receiving credit for a project, or being passed over for a promotion? Can I really leave that situation in the past when I’m still living in its aftermath?
Look at Isaiah 43:16-17. It asks us to hear what God has to say, but first it describes the God we are to listen to: ‘This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves…’
It’s no accident this description was included. It doesn’t describe God as pointing us to a road leading out of the ocean. It doesn’t say he showed us a path through the waves. No, our God builds and carves.
He creates something out of nothing.
Maybe you’ve made a huge mess out of your career. Maybe it’s not what you thought, and you’re miles away from where you want to be. It was one mistake. It’s one detour. Forget the past – don’t keep going over it and over it in your mind. Any wrong you’ve done can’t cancel out the right He is doing. Remember, God can make something out of nothing, including your career.