Old Ways Won't Open New Doors

 

Awhile back I shared this saying in another post and said that I would elaborate on it more in the future, so I can finally do that now. 

Many of you know that my husband lost his job back in February. A job he had successfully worked at for 8 1/2 years, but hated every single day. 

My husband has been in healthcare for a total of 30 years - hospice specifically for the past 20. What started out as a great ministry, soon became, what all healthcare has now become, all about the money. It's such a shame, but it's true. 

David had become known in our area as the "fixer." He could take an office that was in utter turmoil and turn it into a success. He was often called "the best boss ever" and he made an effort to go the extra mile for all of his staff. 

But, you can be the best in your field and still lose your job, because so often it's the guy making the bonuses and the good numbers, that gets the ax. We've been there twice now in those 20 years of hospice.

So, after being fired in February and weighing all the options coming his way, he decided to accept another hospice executive job, after praying and waiting and thinking and resting. It was good money (and we were living off severance pay) and it was familiar, so he took it.

And on the first day he realized he had walked back into the exact same situation that he just spent the past 8 1/2 years hating. 

He came home that first day and I saw the familiar look on his face - one of dread and stress and it was crushing to see him reverse all the rest and healing he had done over the past 3 months of being at home, in one day at the office.

But it only took that one day for him to realize that he had made a mistake. He had walked back into what was familiar and immediately he knew it wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Over that first week of him working at the new place, we prayed and talked and analyzed what to do and asked why had the Lord put this job in front of him, only to present him with all the same stuff he had gotten away from. 

And then one day my friend and I talked and she said the Lord told her to take a picture of this sign (the one above) and send it to me and it confirmed all the things David and I had been feeling...it was time to say goodbye to the healthcare industry for good.

And we came to the conclusion that the reason God took him back to this familiar scene, was to show him that his time in healthcare was over. He had to go back into that comfort zone to realize it was really over and confirm everything he had been feeling, but was afraid to act on. 

After that first week, the Lord began to put so many people and devotions and other things in place to confirm that it was truly time for David to go down a new path and thankfully there was a job in a totally different industry waiting on him. 

Of course, it's a little scary to try something new, but here we are, ready to take that chance, because the old road is closed and it's time to move on. 

Why am I sharing all of these scattered thoughts with you?

Because maybe you're at a crossroads and you need that confirmation that it's ok to move on.

Maybe you've stepped back into a familiar, yet miserable place, only to realize it's time to get out.

I don't know your circumstances, but I do know Jesus and I know that he will sometimes allow you to stay in your comfort zone, and yet constantly send you signs that it's not where you need to be. 

Sometimes he'll even allow you to be fired, to show you it's time to move on. And when that's not enough to convince you, he'll give you the freedom to walk right back in and he'll show you again. (Some of us learn slower than others 😏). 

Maybe you're hanging on to a relationship that should have been over a long time ago. Or maybe it's a decision to make, but you keep slipping back into comfort mode, so the work won't be so hard. 

Whatever it is, think about that sign up there..."Old Ways Won't Open New Doors." You can keep going in circles, but the scenery is never going to change until you go in a new direction; do something different. 

Life is an ever-changing journey when you're walking with the Lord. We're always learning, always growing and if you're too comfortable and stagnant, He will shake you up in time, because it's those crazy times that produce growth and faith. If nothing ever challenges us or presents circumstances where we have to solely rely on him, then what is it that we have faith in? Ourselves? Our calm existence? Our employer?

Peace is not having everything in its place and never having a challenging situation. Peace is having a calm presence, in the midst of the storm. 

Some say "follow the peace" and that's a great indicator of being in the center of God's will. But let's not forget that the disciples were in the presence of Jesus, in the boat, when the storm came and rocked their world. 

So here we are...in the boat with the Lord, taking a new path, ready for a new adventure, and holding on for dear life. 😅

But, I'll tell you this...it's better than dying a slow death by staying on the same path and doing the same miserable thing that's held you hostage for many years. 

And to that I will say...

Until Next Time...

Blessings!