"A good idea is not the same as a vision." - Pastor Michael Todd
If only it were as simple as a good idea. Many of us would already be millionaires, debt free, and essentially perfect in everything we do. But that’s not exactly how it works. As I’ve built a relationship with God, this has been the hardest lesson for me to learn AND to obey. As a true Aries, I am ambitious, and I often bite off way more than I can chew. I used to equate my excitement for a good idea as a “sign” that often took me into pursuing things that were never in God’s vision for me. Whew, can anyone else relate??!
In 2016, I ventured off to Oregon seeking new opportunities and if I’m being honest, a life that allowed me to road trip every weekend while travel blogging about my experience. While I definitely had 2 years full of nothing but adventure, there was a secret that only a handful of people knew.
I was on the run.
I recently wrote “The Broken Experience” and most of you know by now that it took 11 years for me to write my story. What I still haven’t told you is that the same task force of investigators that contacted me last year, had also contacted me in 2016. I spoke to them a few times over the phone and even scheduled a meeting to give my statement at the courthouse, but I never showed up. I never even called to cancel; I just didn’t show up. Instead, within a month of me speaking with them, I had a new job 1500 miles away.
Why is God’s vision so important?
We are pleasure minded people. We often say working hard builds character, but the truth is that we only work for things that have pleasure as the end result. For example, we study to do well on a test. We go to college for a good paying job. We practice so we can be the best at our craft. We date with a checklist because we want a successful marriage. All of these things are tied to pleasures that WE CAN SEE in our future. But what happens when you can’t see the pleasure? What happens when all you can see is pain or simply nothing at all?
My pain was so tightly packed away, that the moment I spoke with the investigator it clouded my vision. And what happens when you can’t see? You stop moving or you move in the wrong direction.
But God.
I didn’t have much of a relationship with Him back then. I needed Him and I didn’t know how to pray for His vision or for His healing. Instead, I used my own sight and reacted accordingly.
One moment from the presence of God can change everything.
I remember the day I made the decision to move back to Texas. Life was good in Oregon; I was happy with my ex-boyfriend, I was traveling frequently, and I was successfully navigating through the corporate world in property management. In fact, I had just been offered a new job making the most money I ever had in my life. I had put in my notice and was so pumped to take on a new role managing expensive renovations in downtown Portland. About a week after I had given notice, I got a letter in the mail from my new company rescinding my offer.
What in the hell?! 1. Who sends a letter in the mail rescinding an offer. 2. WHAT IN THE HELL??
When I called the recruiter, she basically said after reviewing my resume and job history, they decided to go in a different direction. If I haven’t painted this picture clearly enough for you, let me break it down: I signed an offer letter for a job, put in my two weeks’ notice and a week later, I no longer had the new job. This is still the most bizarre thing that has ever happened to me. It made absolutely no sense, however something took hold of me after my heated conversation with the recruiter.
I felt God’s spirit. It was the first time I had ever felt something so strongly in my life before. It was overwhelming and it was clear: “Go home.”
I called my boss and changed my notice to work one more week In Oregon. Within two weeks I had gotten a job with my previous employer, RealPage. This was less exciting for me because I was taking my old position back. If you know me, you know my motto. ParkerSystem, mirrored after KobeSystem, would never backpedal! But that overwhelming feeling from God told me to go anyway.
Within a month of being at RealPage I was promoted to a brand new role created by the leadership team within my department. Show out then, God! Within two years, I was promoted to manage that same team while working directly with the COO. And of course, in the middle of all that, I got the call from the investigator, again. I didn’t hesitate this time. What was different? I was walking in God’s vision, not my own.
I often wonder where I would be if I had of ignored God’s word. The last 4 years of my life have been an uphill climb toward my purpose and as I gain momentum, I’ve realized that there’s no destination, only a never-ending journey that is equipping me with everything I need to be everything I already am.
Cheers to THAT!
So what about you? Has God ever jolted you onto a different path that left you with your mouth hanging wide open? Leave a comment below, I want to hear all about it!
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