As some of you may or may not know, I was just offered a job to work at a Christian record label. I joyfully accepted the job offer and will start working there the first week in April. This is a happy ending to an inspiring story. Well, I pray you find it inspiring, anyway. The main story begins long before this month of March 2007. It all started back in July of 2006 in the sunny state of Florida. I was interning with Campus Crusade for Christ International in Orlando on the Staff Web team. It was a wonderful opportunity and blessing. I enjoyed it very much. My time spent there brought me much growth, insight and a different view of today's world. I actually saw the world as the world. My eyes were opened up to the international movement of Christ and not just what He was doing in my town/at my college/in my state. I remember being at the beach and staring out into the ocean and thinking, "There is so much more out there that I have no understanding of. God is moving in so many places. His movements are bigger than my mind can understand." While I was in Orlando, I started thinking about what I wanted to do after college. You see, because of my internship in Orlando, I was able to graduate a semester early. So, instead of being done in May of '07, I was done in December of '06. Once I found out I was accepted to go to Florida for the summer, my life accelerated. I had five fewer months to acquire a career. Instead of that being a scary thing. It instead turned into a testament of faith and trust. Because only God can move that fast. Only He can set things into motion with that much speed. Thus began a season of me letting Him set up my future instead of doing the typical human, fleshly thing of doing it myself. Well, I can't say that I let God do all the work the whole time. I tried to do things in my own will and strength. I applied for countless jobs on CareerBuilder and Monster. My best friend Shay, who lives in Tennessee, was looking around for things for me. I thought that since I was such a good college student and was so smart that I could figure it all out and arrange it all myself. Well, that's definitely not the way it works. Back to the sun of Florida. Whilst in Florida, God gave me a vision to move to Tennessee to pursue a career in the Christian media or Christian music industry. On the Web team, I became very intrigued by working on the Internet. I realized the power that tool had for good, instead of terrible evil. There are so many degrading things on the Internet. However, there are lights in that darkness. And those Godly lights will drown out the suffocating Internet depravity. And I, Lindsay, will help to do that. After that, I did the tough thing of tell my family that I wanted to move nearly 1,000 miles away. It was a difficult process, but they understand and want me to live my dreams and visions. They support me in what I do, even though it's hard sometimes. And now that God has rewarded me with a career that I truly desire, they are very excited and even more supportive. While finishing up my last semester of college in Wayne, God really built my faith. It was not an easy task watching the days, weeks and months go by without me securing a job. As the time got closer to graduation, I began to field questions of, "What if you don't have a job? Are you still going to move? Don't you think you should stay here and build up some money first? It's safe to stay here." However, I knew that if I didn't move right away, then it would become even harder to leave. Thankfully, God gave me visions to bring me comfort and security as I waited and did my best to trust Him. On one afternoon, I got a vision of a roaring lion prowling around trying to harm Shay (my best friend/roommate) and I. However, Shay and I were in God's hand. He was holding us up above the lion and protecting us. He was carrying us above and away from the danger. A week or so after that vision, I received another one. I was feeling crushed by the weight of everything in my future. What job I'd have. How I'd afford it. Where I'd live. Insurance. Safety for the trip there. What job Shay would have. Security for us. All the things we'd need. Leaving my friends and family. In the vision, God showed me that if I'd let Him hold my future up, then He could handle it. If I gave Him my future, I wouldn't be crushed. I could find safety and solace underneath the arch of His protection and setting up of my future. If I tried to take something back from His grasp, the whole arch would fall down on top of me and crush me. So I just had to let go of my future and trust that He would set it up perfectly. Days still went by and I had no job. During this whole period I was waiting on a company that was considering hiring me. On the day of my college graduation, I received an email that said that company couldn't find any place for me to work. College was over. I'd said goodbye to my friends and I was left with no secure job. Meanwhile, my roommate acquired a job through a temp agency. It was a blessing for her at the time. She's looking for a more encouraging job and we both hope she'll find one. I know God will provide for her too. I spent the Christmas season at home with my family packing up and getting ready to move. We decided to make the trek to Tennessee on December 27th. We missed all of the ice and snow that Nebraska had. Thankfully, God kept us safe. I was moved in and brought in the new year in a new state. My parents gave me some fundage before they left to go back to Nebraska. Those monies kept me afloat during January while I looked for a job. I applied at the glamorous places first. I had a dinner meeting with a Christian magazine editor. She gave me contacs of people in the media. None of those came through. I applied at places like Verizon and Dell. I applied at a temp agency. Still nothing. I had a few interviews but they didn't turn into a job. Finally, at the end of January/beginning of February, I applied at a grocery store and I got that job. I've been working as a cashier since February. It was a blessing to get that job, but there started another season of building me up for something else. Shay and I go to New Song Christian Fellowship in Cool Springs. It's an amazing church that is totally focussed on the Bible. Every week, I'd go there and get fed with nuggets of wisdom and instruction. God would convict me or encourage me weekly with what the pastor said. I'm so grateful for that wisdom. I was struggling with pride at the grocery store. I was working with a bunch of high school kids who were working there just to get some extra cash to spend. I was hired there part-time and needed the job to pay my bills. I kept thinking that I was so much more intelligent than they were. My fleshly pride burned against me. However, the leaders at my church called for a fast of something in our lives that was holding us back. I fasted comparison. I stopped comparing myself to the high school kids and I actually found joy in my job. By this time it was March. I was finally living more in the Spirit and less in the flesh. In one week, I had four interviews. One with a local newspaper. One with a division of Nissan the car company and one with a Christian record label. By the next week, I had gotten to the point of getting an offer from Nissan. However, I'd had the interview at the record label and wanted that job. I was faced with a job offer at Nissan, which seemed like such a wonderful thing to so many friends and family. Great benefits. It was close to where I lived. However, my heart longed for the record label job. The night before the acceptance interview at Nissan, I was trying to fall asleep. God gave me another vision. I saw myself standing. To my right, within arm's reach, was the Nissan job. It was right there, I just had to take it. In front of me, out of reach and out of plain sight, was the record label job. God called me to follow him and take a step forward toward the record label job. He said, "If you look into my eyes and trust me and watch me, then you will be rewarded." When I looked away, I felt fear. I felt condemned for not taking the Nissan job. However, I could feel God holding my hand and guiding me toward the label. I realize He was still carrying me, too. He was still keeping me safe. The week before this at church, an associate pastor said that the only decision we ever have to make is to follow Christ. Everything after that is a determination. We just have to determine what God wants us to do. There's no deciding in that. The day after the vision, God said, "If you go with Nissan you are disobeying me. I already told you what you need to do. I made the determination for you. I showed it to you in a vision. You just have to obey me and follow what I said." Right before I called to turn down Nissan, the record label called and said they wanted me to come in for a second interview with the president of the label. I turned down the Nissan job. Two days after that, I went in for the next interview at the label. I told them I turned down Nissan because I wanted to work there. I knew my heart would be content there. I even described my vision. Before I left, the president said he'd call me the next day. So yesterday (Friday, March 23) was that next day. At around one in the afternoon, the president called. He offered me the job. I accepted it. He thanked me for having enough faith to wait for the job I wanted. God promised me He'd take care of me and provide for me. He promised to keep me safe. He promised to set up my future. He made the determination. He asked me to obey. I obeyed. He rewarded me. *happy sigh* I encourage you all to seek out God's vision and determination for your life. And then I encourage you to follow and obey. Immediate obedience brings immediate rewards. | 
