Article June 18, 2012 Issue

God has a purpose for you

We can trust God with every detail of our lives.

Pamela Cook

“Oh, Pamela, you’re so funny!” That’s what a friend said to me when I suggested to him that we didn’t need to make a plan about whether or when we would next talk—that we could trust God to let us both know at the right time. I reassured him I was not kidding—that I turn to God continually before I make a move. I don’t use an alarm clock, because I trust God will awaken me at the appropriate time. I don’t make a list of daily to-do’s and I go shopping without a grocery list; I know Mind never forgets, so I trust I won’t, either. I shared with my friend how it was that I had arrived at this approach he found so astonishing. 

For 20-plus years I worked in the business world—most of the time as a partner in a national management consulting firm. For the last several years of my business career, I worked as an independent consultant, from my home office. I have always been quite disciplined, so each morning, I got up, dressed for work, and then, instead of driving to an office, I simply walked down the hall to my office and got to work. 

When I was first establishing my consulting practice, I struggled with a sense of personal responsibility. True, I genuinely wanted to help my clients accomplish their goals, but in the process, I put a lot of pressure on myself to be always available, no matter when a client called.