I am sitting here, in Vail, CO in a complete state of shock. The last 3 weeks of my life has been nothing short of a miracle. I thought maybe you'd wanna hear the story as it may encourage you as much as it has been to me! Life is just crazy nuts!! God is amazing. Let me tell you the story...
Those of you who have known me through my transition period have known what a HUGE desire it has been in my heart to have a career. And not just talking about a job that pays well, etc, but what it is that you're supposed to do with your life. For so long, I have had SO many dreams and desires in my heart for what I am supposed to do with my life, but no direction as to how to get about getting there. Just kinda wandering around like a lost lil puppy for so long in my life, waiting for others to tell me what to do, or what to love doing. Well, all of that changed as of April.
I decided to spend some time with my Aunt and Uncle in Florida. Booked my flight. Got totally distracted by a very handsome man on my plane, who I ended up giving my number to in baggage claim and spent the entire vacation hanging out with him on the beach as "beach buddies." Totally clicked. Matt came into my life. We decided to hang after vacation back in our homestate of CO, even tho we were about 3 hours away from eachother. So for almost 4 months, we swapped who went to which city and hung out quite a bit getting to know eachother, while having a complete blast and laughing alot. :)
Long story short, it became VERY apparent VERY quickly that I was falling in love with Vail, CO. Being born and raised in Fort Collins, I didn't venture around much apart from day trip cities, and the occasional day ski trip, but never really landed in Vail. Decided if God opened the door in my field, I would jump for the job and not turn back. Started looking, but not aggressively. Decided to look pretty much everywhere I loved, so not just nailed to Vail. Had prayed with my brother and he had told me something that stuck so
strong with me...he had said, "Sarah, God will open doors where you are
supposed to pay attention to and possibly go there, and close those
where the season is done and gone. He knows your desires and it's time
to start paying attention to what He brings in front of you. It's not
going to be a coincidence."
So it began...I honestly didn't see how this would happen, but decided to just "roll with it."
Found some positions in some places and drove up for interviews. Ended up not getting those jobs, but one job opened up as a result of someone getting one of those positions I was going for, and boom! I landed an interview, got offered the position the next day, and the job was never even posted. Turns out, I am totally supposed to be here. I remember driving to the gym that day I got the voice mail for the job offer and just shaking alot listening to it. It was b/c I knew this was it. This was honestly the job I'd been dreaming of for so very long. And I didn't even know to what extent that was true until now...
So, the transition began. In the span of 2 weeks, God lined up the timing almost perfectly. My dogs were adopted out to an amazing family right before the transition of moving and packing began so I could focus on that. I told God that I needed to transition my sweet lil Mini Cooper S to a new home so I could have a car in Vail that was safe and necessary with the snow. I decided if an opportunity to sell it cam about, I would jump on it. So there that one came. Got asking price and that was finished within a couple days. Oh, shoot! Now what to drive? Well, time to borrow parents car for a lil bit. In the meantime, had wishlist sent to Juan Blanco, our family friend who also buys cars for customers at the auction.
Now to find someone to take over my lease. Asked God to fill that before I signed a lease up here b/c there was no way I could carry two at once. It honestly got down to the wire of me having a very serious convo with God about the need for finding a place of my own in Vail, and needing to move in, even if the lease in FTC was not covered. I asked Him to help me out and thanked Him for all He had already done for me. Within 24 hours, I had found a place to rent here, just the perfect lil place for me, right down to sunflowers growing in the parking lot (my fav flower) and a huge deck overlooking the valley in the sunshine most of the day AND the night before I signed that lease, I got a call that my landlord had a couple sign a new lease, releasing me from my one in FTC. God is good!!
Onto the car...had woken up early one morning for "no reason" only to feel strongly that I was supposed to email Juan a revised "wish list" for my car b/c it was getting down to the wire on me needing to get my parents back their car and just get something to drive. I decided to whittle down my list to only non negotiables, even tho it meant I would need to settle for the basics. As soon as I had sent the email, within a couple minutes, Juan shot me an email describing a car that had JUST come up for the auction that morning and guess what? Down to the color interior, leather, etc etc etc, it was EXACTLY what I had on my extreme wish list. We decided on a max bidding price and I asked God to let us get it under a certain mark if it was supposed to be mine, even tho it would be an extreme steal if that happened. Well, guess what?! We got the car. And for under that benchmark I had asked God about. Crazy!!
Not to go into details, but my job is making me want to laugh, smile and cry all at the same time. I have never ever felt so strongly that I am walking in what I am supposed to do. I just feel so honored, and loved that God would give me such an incredible opportunity for my growth as well as all the other areas of growth I can help affect through this placement. I am overwhelmed in a good way, at how perfect this job is for me and I feel confident that I can do what He has called me to do. I can actually put my roots down and grow. And use my degree to the max, learn even more, and all while experiencing all the good things from previous jobs that I missed. Yep, you guessed it. They are in this job as well. I am so grateful.
God really knows the desires of your heart. He knows what you need and when you need it, and will not give it to you a moment sooner than when His perfect plan is for you life. He sets us up for success and places us where we will thrive. I am so grateful for Him redirecting my life and setting me on the path He has for me. You know when you just "know?" Yep, I'm there. And for the first time in my life, I don't care what others think of me, as in the fear or influencing my life's decisions aspect. I know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing and nothing, no one, or anything can stop me. I'm so ready for this. I do recognize wisdom where and when it is given, and take it all to heart. Even though I feel the weight of responsibility for my future, I can honestly look it straight in the eyes and say I'm ready for it. It is such a crazy good feeling!! Even though I know the things in my life may not always fall into place like this time, I know that I can handle the rough times b/c I've seen how He has shown His extreme love to me, even in a place I didn't feel I deserved it.
And that's the beauty of grace and God's love, isn't it? We don't deserve it, and He still offers it to us, unconditionally.
He has set me up for success and given me the tools to succeed. Nothing, not one thing, is in vain. There is a reason for every job, for every person you meet, and every thing you do. He uses it all to accent the best for your life. I am in complete and utter awe at God and how much He cares. Details matter to Him as much as they do to us. Sometimes we just honestly need to stand back and recognize when the details are there. It will make our heart and our face smile, and almost smile so often and so big, that we cannot handle anymore good things coming into our lives. I am at that point of almost enough. I honestly do not know how much more I can handle of His goodness!
Honestly, this is the VERY shortened version of all the ways that things have lined up, and happened when He said "Go." If you'd like to hear the longer version, just lemme know and we can grab some chill time in the form of a coffee or a beer. It makes me so loopy thinking through all those details He lined up!!
I hope this encouraged you that He loves you and more than you can even know or understand. I'm so not into religion. I haven't even really been part of a church for many years. What I do know is that my life is so full b/c He is in my life. It's not about the rules or any of that for me...what it's about is the fact that Jesus loves me so much that He would care to make the nitty gritty details of my life fun and pay attention to me enough to show love in so many areas. Life is full of so much fulfillment b/c He is in my life. It's only about His love. That's it.
I sure am glad I gave my number to the baggage claim guy. :) God may have had other ways of directing me up here had I missed that one, but this way I'm convinced has been the most fun and fulfilling. :) So. Thankful. He is giving me every heart's desire, and not b/c it's from a spoiled child type thing...but b/c He knows how much these things mean to me.
