Hi everyone!
It's been a hot minute since I last wrote here.
I know. I'm sorry I dropped off the face of the earth. (Okay, I didn't actually. This summer has been crazy, but I'm back [hesitantly] for now.) But, everyone needs a little time to care for themselves when things get crazy, and let me tell you, things got crazy.
And when I say things got crazy, I mean that suddenly I found myself alone with myself. I had no obligations. I had no direction.
That was hard.
These last few months have been really hard.
I didn't realize how hard it was until suddenly it wasn't hard anymore.
So what happened? Why were the last few months hard?
Well, I graduated from college. My life routine was uprooted in less than twenty-four hours. I walked across the stage, shook the Vice President of the United State's hand, and received my diploma in the morning, and by evening I was sleeping in my own bed at home again having flown back to Colorado from Indiana.
So that was big thing number one.
Then I found myself with no job, needing to find a way to fill my days.
So I wrote. I wrote a lot. Over the last month, I wrote an entire novel and planned out the rest of a four book series. (Yikes.)
[If you feel inclined to follow my writing journey, you may do so at www.authorjjhanna.com ]
Meanwhile, I was traveling back and forth dog-sitting at various houses, and applying to as many jobs as I could, large and small, hoping for something, anything, to help when student loans reared their heads.
Now, I want you to know that not once did I doubt that God had a plan for me, and that when the time was right, he would give me a job. I knew that deep in my bones. He provided a car, he constantly provides food, there is a roof over my head and clothes on my back because of his graciousness. I knew he would give me a job in his timing.
But as August grew near, I grew anxious. I'd had only two good leads all summer, and both were moving incredibly slowly.
So I did my due diligence. I sent out more career type job applications. And I waited some more. (As I writer, I've gotten very good at waiting. It's one of our hidden superpowers.)
And then, suddenly, in the same day, God dropped two amazing gifts in my lap.
1. A literary agent emailed me a contract to sign for representation. (This is a HUGE step forward in my writing career, and I couldn't be happier with the agent.)
2. One of the jobs I'd reached out to in the beginning of summer (so, three months ago) emailed me back and offered me a job if I was still looking.
Now, I'd been in contact with the hiring manager for this job throughout the summer, keeping in touch. And after the interview it had felt so right. It felt like a very clear statement from God, a statement of, "I want to bless you. You will experience my blessing working in this place." I had no question in my mind after the interview.
But after three months of slow back and forth, of keeping in touch but there not being space yet, I was beginning to lose heart.
As August grew near, I was ready to stop waiting and to move on to another job to get me through until I could find a career.
But that day, that Monday of all days, it was like God smiled and said, "Now. Now is the time." For both things. A job, and steps forward in my dream.
I am so incredibly blessed to have a God who loves me like this looking out for me and paving a way for me. I am so incredibly blessed to have God defend my time and allow me to spend all of July writing a novel as he prepared a path for me at one of my bucket list jobs.
He cares so much about us. He cares enough to put us in positions where we can continue to grow and learn and gain experience all while doing something we love. He cares enough to help us pursue our gifts and give us the time to glorify him by existing fully how he made us to be.
God knows that he made me a writer. Because of that, he knows I can't be fully who he made me to be without having time to write. So he gave me time to write. And on top of that, he gave me a job that will provide for my needs, give me at least another six or seven months to find a career, and still give me time to write.
This summer, despite the hardness of uprooting completely and transplanting back to my home state and readjusting to the rhythms of home-life rather than school-life, I have been blown away by the goodness of the God I serve. He is so good it brings me to tears just thinking about it.
So today I ask you to praise God with me. Praise him for his never ending goodness.
Psalm 145:1-8
1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b] 6 They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.