Thank You God!!!

I just have to share a MASSIVE answer to prayer I received last week. In June, you may remember, I mentioned I had asked my boss if I could work part-time (4 days a week) so I could spend one day a week working on my novel. Working full-time, being involved at church and having a social life while trying to write an epic story as fat as the Harry Potter books was just too hard. My job involves sitting in front of a computer all day and the thought of spending my nights/weekends staring at a monitor while I wrote, made my eyes sore. If ever I could work part-time and write, then this was the time in my life to do it. No kids, no mortgage and no desire to join the sleazy backpacker culture. I didn't know if I was ever going to be published, but I wanted to find out if it was God's will.

My boss wanted to help me but the bigger bosses said 'no'. At first I wasn't so disappointed and I knew God had it under control. But as time went by and I became more dissatisfied with my job, I started wrestling with doubt. Should I give up? Was God saying 'no' or 'wait'? I didn't hate my job but I just didn't want to spend 5 days a week there. Should I try again?

I had my yearly review at work a few months later at which I told my boss I still wanted to work part-time. She hadn't forgotten this and told me that my best chance would be at the end of the year when the workplace was going to be restructured. So I waited. Then I started questioning God. Why did he want to be stuck in this job and there were no other jobs out there (trust me I looked)? Why did he say 'no' to everything I asked? I then realised that God was telling me to trust him no matter what, that he knows best and is working everything out for my good. It was a very hard lesson to learn. God was no genie that gave me whatever I asked for. I had to learn to say that 'God is good' even when he didn't say 'yes'.

A little while ago, an email was sent around my workplace, asking for expressions of interest from people who wished to change their working hours or move to another department. This was my big chance. I put in my request and waited for a couple of weeks until the lady in charge of this came back from leave. I still didn't hear anything. I prayed about it but found this time I wasn't overly worried. But I began to tell myself that if I got another 'no', I would seriously keep looking for other work. Then I got an email from the lady in charge of this area and she asked me to come to her office. I was a bit nervous and expected her to say 'no', so when she said 'yes', I couldn't believe it! Not only that, she said I could work part-time for a year and then if I didn't like it, I could change back to full-time (although I don't think I will). Also me working part-time will help others who are on contracts get more work.

I cannot thank God enough. I just hope I will use my day to write diligently and not waste time. I have a friend who is keeping me accountable and wants me to show her how much I have written each week. While I waited, I wondered if sometimes God wants us to kick down the doors ourselves or wait for him to open them? I always used to look for 'open doors' but this experience made me not so sure. If I hadn't approached my boss, then how could I expect them to read my mind and know what I wanted? Also, if I'd gotten another 'no', does that mean I should have given up or kept trying? In this case, I'm glad I kept trying and waited for 6 months. But we still need to prayerfully seek God's will and I was still dependent on him to open the door, even though I kept knocking.

God is good. I want to say this all of the time.

As for why I want to write and what my book is about - more on that later :D :D :D