The Day God Forgot His Call on My Life

by Lori Stanley Roeleveld

The year I turned fifty was the year I knew God would expand His use of my writing for His glory. The last thing I wanted to be doing was interviewing for a full-time job working with troubled families. All my prayers, training, and passion had been focused toward writing, something I'd planned to do full-time now that my children were grown, but my husband had suddenly lost his job and been offered a new one sans medical benefits. At the same time, I was offered an interview for one with benefits included. I sat before the interview panel mentally looking for reasons to decline the work, angry that God appeared to be forgetting or ignoring His call on my life to write for His glory. As the panel compared my education and experience to their needs, it became apparent to everyone that I was well-equipped for the work. That only served to increase my anger.Finally, the lead interviewer said, "You seem perfect for the job, so I hesitate to mention this final requirement. It's what always leads candidates to refuse the position."At last, I thought, here's my exit. "What is it?" I said, leaning forward."Well," he replied with a sigh, "the job requires a lot of writing."I wondered if I was the only one in the room who could hear God's laughter.As it turns out, the first task I have with troubled families is to write their story so that everyone working with them can see them in context. The story describes their culture, values, and strengths as well as their problems. I can't tell you how often now I've heard a family say that that piece of writing was pivotal in helping them remember who they were as a family or to access the right services or to convince someone to provide them the help they needed.Just when I thought God had forgotten His call on my life, He showed me how His call went beyond what I had envisioned. I do, indeed, work full-time writing for God's glory, by day in this job and by night for my blog and my book. Turns out, God's idea of full-time was fuller even than mine!Has God placed a call on your life? Are you ready for the unexpected adventure that may entail?Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a disturber of hobbits who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. She's authored an unsettling blog since 2009; a pursuit that eventually resulted in her first book, Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus). When she retired from homeschooling her son and daughter through high school graduation, she took a day job writing the stories of families in crisis. You'll find Lori at her website www.loriroeleveld.com or on her front porch writing. When she isn't writing, she's off somewhere slaying dragons.