It’s official; I am beginning a new career this week. I have accepted a job offer from Piper Valve in OKC to work in design engineering and drafting. For those of you who do not know, I have been employed at ExxonMobil Chemical for nearly seven years, most of my adult life! Therefore, this is a big change for me.
This offer is a quite an opportunity, one that I am very thankful for. I completed all my requirements to earn my bachelor’s degree from SGU this past February, an accomplishment I am proud of; however I cannot take all the credit for the many good fortunes that have been placed in my path. I thank Kasey for her support during these past years and for putting up with me; I give thanks also to both my family and church family for the support each has provided as well; but above all I give thanks to God who has provided for me in countless ways.
In my personal situation, there have been various paths to travel leading to various opportunities, and I attribute this to God’s gift of free will – for God loves me so much, unconditionally, that he allows for me to make my own decisions and as a result of those decisions, he opens avenues. Even when I have made poor choices, I know that God has orchestrated goodness to come.
The point I am trying to make is this: through God’s love for us, he has given us freewill, and without this freewill what would life be? I have had many conversations with people in regards to this topic over the years, especially during trying times in life. The question of why God has allowed bad things to happen has often been brought up to me. My response is simple: freewill. I typically follow that up with a story of my own for illustration purposes. I often reference my education/work journey. Because of the decisions I made, I placed myself into situations that have been very trying, for instance passing on several scholarships after high school in favor of working. I understand now that while I have moaned and groaned about not having an education and not being able to get the job I want, it was my decision and solely a reaction to the actions and choices I made. It’s not God’s fault, or anyone else’s, it is mine. However, even with my foolish mistakes, God has provided opportunities for me. He has allowed me to experience many things that I otherwise would not have been able to experience; continuing with my example: traveling across the US in my early twenties; learning to balance work, school, and family; meet and learn about the “real world” work environments, etc.
My testimony is this: God will provide, but he will not dictate. I believe that no matter the choice we make, God looks at our situation and says, “I can work with this.” It is not God that makes these bad things happen, rather it is the flesh. The flesh is of the world and therefore doesn’t always know or want what God wants for us, but through God’s love, he allows us to carry on with our own path, yet he never leaves us.
What about you and your choices? Are you blaming God for something? Are you holding a grudge with the Almighty for a turn of events that ended unfavorably? If so, I hope and pray that you remove these hurt feelings towards God and open your eyes to opportunities he has laid before you. God will provide for you if you allow him to, but he will not dictate your every move. You have been blessed through God’s love with freewill, how are you using it?
Josh
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