This season of Lent our theme is “We are turning.” Lent, this season of spring, serves as a time of reorientation, of turning back to God. Repentance is a part of that, as it reframing, reimagining, refocusing, and simply turning around to get a new view. Each Wednesday in Lent we are blessed by hearing stories from members about a “turning” experience from their life, a time when they have seen things in a new way or discovered God right in the midst of things. May you be blessed by these stories and may they get you thinking about your own stories of “turning.” – In Peace, Pastor Ruth
Stories of Turning by Caryn Josephson.
Traffic was horrible that morning. I was rushing to get to work by 8 for my weekly meeting with my boss, but it was clear that I wouldn’t make it in time. I pulled off to text him to see if he wanted to talk via phone or reschedule, and his response was ‘that’s OK, just stop by when you get in’. I finally got to his office, and with an exasperated smile on my face said ‘sometimes my commute really stinks’. That’s when he shared that my position was being eliminated. My first thought was “wait, what?” and my second thought was “That means I don’t have to do employee reviews this year!”.
Thus began what I would come to describe as my 10 month ‘unplanned sabbatical’. The truth was, I hadn’t been truly happy in my job for quite some time. A series of organizational changes had resulted in me going from an acknowledged expert to someone who struggled to make their voice heard. A layoff was a “turning” that I never thought would happen to me, but I decided to look at it as an opportunity. I had the luxury of being able to take some time to discern what the next chapter of my work life would bring.
Shortly after my layoff notice, Pastor Peter reached out with an offer to serve as part time Interim Bookkeeper at Prince of Peace. That role helped keep up my confidence as I navigated the unfamiliar waters of a job search. My job search had a number of twists and turns as I explored different types of roles, and reconnected with members of my job network. The one defining thread was the strong sense that God had something really good waiting for me. I began to look at the process as ‘planting seeds’ and ultimately found my new job through a new connection made through the outplacement service and a couple of former co-workers. The new company has a strong sense of purpose and service, and 7 months in I feel like my voice is back and I am once again making a difference. I’m grateful for the “turn” my life took that day of the miserable commute.