Staying Faithful Even In Waiting

Elizabeth’s Story

I began searching for social work jobs shortly after I passed my board exam. The search was grueling and there were barely any companies that would hire an associate licensed clinician. Not long into the search, my dad got diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. My world was completely shaken. Of course, God knew this was going to happen so instead of keeping our vacation plans we ended up booking a flight to see him instead. As soon as I saw my dad, the Lord said to me “walk by faith, not sight.” The trip was filled with priceless memories and the opportunity to lay hands on my dad and pray for healing.

The job hunt continued when we got back. I received multiple rejections because I wasn’t independently licensed. I was so angry but I held on to the fact that the Lord has a purpose for everything. I prayed for healing for my dad more times than I could count. I know that no job would have allowed for the hours I spent at the Lord’s feet interceding on my dad’s behalf. I continued looking for jobs and instead of being angry about being repeatedly rejected, I saw the rejections as the Lord’s protection. I felt like my most important role at that time was praying for my dad. I trusted that the job the Lord wanted for me would come at the perfect time.

After making some connections, I had an interview for a school based mental health therapist position. I received a job offer the following day. I did not feel peace about it, and I called my husband to discuss. The first thing he asked me was “Did you pray about it?” and I hadn’t. I hung up the phone and prayed. Within seconds the Lord said, “I don’t want you there.” We were struggling financially so it was tempting to be disobedient. But I knew that if I just held on, the job He wanted for me would be even better than I could imagine. A week or two later I interviewed for the same type of position, but at a Christian non-profit. I was praying the morning of the interview and the Lord said, “I keep my promises.” The interview went really well, and I was supposed to hear by that Thursday whether or not I got the job. I hadn’t heard anything, so I went for prayer walk and pounding the pavement because I was so angry. The Lord kept reminding me that things happen on His time and not my own. Low and behold, I received an email the following day with an offer. The benefits, pay, and job responsibilities were superior to the job offer I turned down.

I could not have made it through last year without my amazing community group. I sat in the “prayer chair” week after week sobbing as I received prayer for a job and healing for my dad. They carried the burdens with me while encouraging me along the way. I don’t have an official testimony on my dad yet since he has not received his post treatment results, but I believe that the Lord has healed him.