I Want Some New Candy!

When the times get rough…

I could use some grace.

I used to dread having to go to work every day particularly when Sunday night rolled around. I had such anxiety thinking about it. I had lost my joy for the workplace because I was eyeing up a new candy store. You know the glamorous job, the one that pays more and looks like everything you want. This unsatisfied desire caused me to lose interest in what I was currently doing.

But…

Is it really what I want or have I chewed the flavor out of my gum? Have you ever felt this way?

I would ask myself, “Is it the career you need or is it the position, the wealth and the influence that attracts you?” What’s the real reason behind that desire? I needed to check my motive.

For a long time, I had the jump spirit. What I mean by that is, every time I would start a job I would get tired of it and want to change or move. I am always looking to grow, looking for promotion and so I was easily bored when there seemed to be no opportunity for an increase.

I Need A Change of View!

I was never the one to be satisfied with doing the same thing over and over I’ve always had a desire for more. Now I had never tied these longings to my purpose I just thought it was normal to feel that way until I looked around and saw people working the same job, the same position for years and getting a 2% raise every year and be okay with that. This was not my dream. Even though I didn’t finish college, I did not let that stop me. I just switched jobs to the highest bidder.

Now when you are young and naive, you don’t know how to harness that energy unless you have a great mentor. I wasted my energy on following after positions instead of my purpose. I was told your prosperity lies in finding your purpose. So as an adult after jumping several ships, I thought it’s really time to settle in one of these ships but which one? I was tired of looking and feeling unstable.

Time to Settle Down

As I grew in Christ I heard a message of grace. Grace that helps you endure when you are under pressure. Well, I was under pressure, the pressure to sell, the pressure to perform, the pressure to be satisfied with the status quo, pressured to love what I do, the pressure to meet deadlines and pressured to follow people who were not ready to be followed. Rather who I did NOT want to follow, and for many reasons.

But of course, through my thankful journey, I have come to shake up my gifts and release my powers through thankfulness, prayer, and self-development. I knew that I needed to analyze my roots in order to change my fruit so I can be genuinely happy with who Mari is. And that my hopping was not a bad thing, I was just searching for THE thing. The thing God had saved for me. My candy that would never lose its flavor. Jesus said to drink from the fountain that never runs dry, so I took him up on that offer and drank up!

It’s all about the way you look at things.

It was not easy to say I was thankful for a job that I did not love but at the same time, it was not hard to bear. I just needed to change my perspective of and appreciate the time I was there and see it more as an assignment. This gave me a purpose. Like Jesus, I imagined saying to my coworkers and clients, “if you only knew who I was, you would ask me for a drink of water.”

The Lord instructed me that until I was satisfied with what I was doing he was not going to move me. There is a lesson for me to learn here. Allow God to teach you, he’s the best! So I followed suit and began to thank him for my job and I asked for the grace to be content while doing it, like Paul was content.

Grace has many definitions, to be used for all occasions. So below I give you some definitions and examples of how I applied them in my life.

1. It is the unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification;

• This grace was given to me when I accepted Christ, although I was a hot mess God still chose to extend favor.