Since being in Atlanta, I have talked with and prayed with many people trying to find a job. Like someone said, "You know it is bad if Walmart don't hire you!" Not that they are not good enough, it is just the market is so tight.
Early this morning, I received a mass email from a kind brother from the Assembly of God Tabernacle. He was encouraging everyone with his path to finding his next job. Knowing the struggle, I asked if I could post it here at jasonrowland.org. He agreed and here is the following:
I wanted to send this email to let all of you know that God has blessed me with a wonderful job starting on May 30, 2007 Tuesday. During this time of looking I went back to see that I have applied for over 1,100 job openings all of which I was qualified for with about 52 interviews. Of that 52 I was called for a final interview in about 18 of them. Many times there are hundreds of people applying for 1 job. For this position 195 applied they did phone interviews with 58 of them and then called in for a 1st interview 27 people and 15 for a second, another 8 for the 3rd and final and choose 1 from the 8 PRAISE GOD. I wanted to share with you some of the things I learned while out of work.
Never stop trusting that God is in control of you every day and he knows your every struggle.
During the year of my job loss, we have had days where we could go to church and not have gas to get back home. However God has used many of you to address our needs. Randomly giving us money, reminding us that God is in control of our everyday.
Learn to be specific in what you ask God for, right down to the very details.
During this time I did find a couple of temp jobs that lasted for a couple of weeks and ended. It was not until I started to pray and ask God for exactly what I wanted in the area of employment that I received this job offer. I was willing and praying for anything because I felt I needed the work but he was showing me I will supply your needs just trust in me.
Call those things that are not as if they are.
When I started walking around my house and everywhere I went speaking what I believed God would do I started seeing a change many companies started calling me about interviews with them. I have to send out emails letting them know I have another offer somewhere else.
Don't ever give up, what God has for you it is for you.
I have been on interviews where the job was offered only to find something else happened before I could come in to sign the papers. One company had hired me and made an offer but before I could come into the office and sign the papers the person who had the job before me wanted it back (she was suppose to leave town but did not) and they gave her the job back and told me sorry.
Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit
It is very real, during this time the spirit has spoken to me and many of you concerning this matter. I can remember hearing the voice of God telling me which exit to get off on 285 and I did not. The next thing that happened to me was I was in an accident with a truck causing over 4,000 dollars damage.
Learn to thank God daily
The words give us this day our daily bread have never rang more true for us I can't count the number of times we had dinner and not knowing where the next dinner was going to come from. However God always provided in miracle fashion, from people just coming by the house dropping off bags and bags of groceries. We never concerned ourselves with tomorrow our troubles were today.
Get out of debt
Qne of the things that really helped us is that although we only had one income coming in, we did not have a lot of debt. We had trouble keeping the phone and lights on during this time but had we had large credit card and other types of debt things would have been worse. Take time and look and your own sitiuation what would happen if you lost your job and could not find one for a year, how could you pay the bills you have, what is your plan? How would you approach looking for a new one. What steps would you take, would you lose your house, your car?
Give Give Give
During times like these we often want to stop giving because there are other needs that have to be addressed. You will have to give your way out of these problems. God knows what you have and don't have, but he wants to see if you trust him enough to give when you don't have it to give. I can' wait to give from my 1st check because I know that all that I make belongs to God you may not understand that concept until you are not making anything. Once you start making something again you will become a cheerful giver.
I want to say to the saints of the most high God thanks from the bottom of our hearts you will never know how much you have meant to us. Some of the things you have done for us has brought tears to our eyes because we have found that though this, not only does God love us but you do also. Your prayers and your faith and your concern for us will never be forgotten. The group is called Homebuilders but part of building is to make sure it does not fall. What has happened here by way of the Holy Spirit is you would not let us fall. For that we will always be grateful, and we will never forget what you and God have done for us.
