I know it has been more than a week since we arrived from our vacay (which I promise to write about this week - promise), but this is my first Monday with my new job after the first weekend that I did not have to go to class. (I just graduated!)
Side note before I begin: I really miss going to class. I enjoyed every second of it, and now, I have my weekends back, but I kinda feel lonesome. Huhu. Not to mention board exams are fast approaching!
Back to the show. Oh yes, I have a new job. It's still homebased, but I'm actually employed now and not just a freelancer. I've been connected to a particular company since 2011 and have worked with them full-time since 2012, but I did not have an "employed" status. Nobody among us did as we were considered service providers.
The circumstance was fine because I controlled my own time and I could work and not work whenever I wanted to (which is, of course, subject to certain conditions). I also did not have to report to a particular employer though we worked with teams. The setup was perfect for a work-at-home mom, and I used to recommend the job to everyone.
I first started to see the downside of the job when I decided to get my own property. Since it was under my name, I needed to produce my own employment certificate. I could not get one from our company because my status was service-provider, not employee. It caused a lot of trouble on our part, but thanks to God, it all turned out well. I was never able to get an employment certificate bt the way.
I still continued to work for the company because, honestly, I loved the job. I like helping students improve their work and the thought that my suggestions and comments might have helped them attain a higher grade.
But early this year, if you remember, I got into a career dilemma as we underwent a lot of changes. Still undergoing changes as a matter of fact. And when I weighed my options, I realized that though I still wanted to improve as a teacher, it ceased to become the practical choice. Instead of earning a particular amount per hour, because of the changes, inevitably, my earnings also decreased; they were slashed into more than half. I knew then that I should start looking for new opportunities.
I started by accepting a part-time writing job for a client who owns the Christian company, Memory Cross. This was truly a blessing for me not only because my client is good (supervises but does not micro-manage, criticizes and praises) but also because my job helps me grow as a Christian. It also pays really well for a job that requires just two (2) articles per week.
Source: benziher.wordpress.com
My setup last month was to work this part-time job, work occasionally for my old job, and write freelance. Suffice to say, it was stressful and, financially, I had to keep borrowing from Job. In other words, the tiring setup was fruitless.
After a week of "resting" and soul-searching in Luzon, I realized that I needed to get a full-time job or at least another part-time client. This would be perfect since my real estate brokerage class was coming to an end and my schedule would be freer.
Upon arriving home, I browsed through some job listings from a website I frequent and saw this particular job posting from an Australian parenting website. With nothing to lose, I sent in my application. After a few hours, I got an invitation for an interview. They did not specify the salary, but I still accepted the invitation because I really wanted the job. I mean, I maintain a parenting blog!
Monday morning last week, I had the interview with them, and I wasn't nervous at all. I had fun because they were such cool people. Hours later, I was offered the job, and I was even surprised that they pay higher than most online employers.
I started working for them Wednesday last week, and I didn't have trouble at all. In fact, I enjoyed the job and enjoyed their company. My boss, especially, is a very chill lady, though I still don't know how it would be one there are strict deadlines and stuff!
By the way, I'm now working for Stay-at-home Mum. Check out the website along with Memory Cross please! If you're wondering how I am able to work these two jobs, well, I only work from 7-3 for the former and only have to write at least 2 articles for the latter. I'm capable of doing the two because of God's help!
Which brings me to the final and actual point of this post. What is my motive? I was having a really rocky phase during the last couple of months (and a bit more), which coincided with my review classes. I was busy with the latter but, at the same time, I was also frustrated with not having a proper job (not to mention proper income). I applied for a zillion jobs: I retracted my application from those I did not feel were the right ones, I got rejected by one (always a humbling experience), and from most, I did not even get a response. Because I've always had a job since I graduated years ago, this was a totally new experience and I felt lost all along.
Source: pxleyes.com
My first ray of sunshine came with the Memory Cross job and I'm so thankful for it. The funny thing is that I just sent an email to my client with links to some of my work, and he hired me on the spot. The goodness of my client and the nature of the job are pure blessings.
My frustrations turned to gratefulness because that reminded me that God is still concerned (unlike what I found myself thinking at times) for my welfare. He also reminded me to not put things into my hands. I applied to sooo many jobs, wrote too many applications and test essays (I could not keep count, swear), and the cycle of frustration continued. Then I got an almost perfect job very easily, and my boss even said he believes God led me to him. I believe it, too.
Then, this job. I wasn't even planning to apply since I was still so tired from our trip. I was just browsing just in case there was an interesting post, and there was. Again, I did not exert much effort to get it. I did not have to draft writeups, take tests - even the interview was just a virtual chat done within 10 minutes. I love the job, too, and I'm blessed with another good boss. I'm blessed, period.
What I learned is that sometimes, God allows us to go through rough times to grow and be humbled. Ultimately, they are to teach us that though we exert too much humanly effort on various endeavors, he is still in charge. He can give us, for example, the perfect job in a snap, with no effort at all. I learned to just have faith in the truth that God never fails to deliver, and I learned to wait for his grace.
Are you going through a tough time right now? Like me, are you exhausting yourself by exerting too much effort to handle your challenges? I know it's scary to lose control, but the truth is that all the human effort in the world amounts to nothing compared to God's grace.
Let God handle them for you and allow yourself to be dependent on his perfect grace.
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