Suitable employment

Throughout my life, I have turned to Christian Science many times to assist me in finding suitable employment, with satisfying, productive results. Sometimes these jobs were quite surprising, coming to light in ways I never could have predicted. In each case, they were right for the time, providing skills I would take to the next opportunity.

For years, I worked in marketing communications, travelling the world while working on print and video projects. This work came about through prayer at a time when I had previously felt trapped in a dead-end job, and had mounting debt. When my prayer was answered, my growth in the industry was rapid. I loved what I did, and after working for a large corporation, I later went freelance, which created bigger projects and more compensation. 

Then it came to a complete halt. Shifts in the economy left me unable to find work. Despite my concerted effort, all of my contacts were unable to provide me with employment. My savings started to vanish. The sense of rejection and abandonment was overwhelming. Mortal mind, or the mentality that would oppose God’s allness, was filling my thought with wrong ideas about rejection, lack of opportunity, ageism, and an industry that didn’t seem to want what I had to offer. I tried to reverse these thoughts with spiritual truths I was discovering through my own study and prayer, but progress was slow.

I was reminded that God's plan was complete. Nothing was left out. Good is universal.

I was quite fearful because I did not know how I would pay the bills, so I turned to a Christian Science practitioner for prayerful support. His calm, clear statements of truth helped dissolve the fear that was keeping me from moving forward. I was reminded that God’s plan was complete. Nothing was left out. There was a divine purpose to everything that God guided me to do. Good is universal. I needed to stop trying to find a specific position and let God show me what I should do that would bless others—bless all. However, I was down to my last few dollars and knew that I would no longer be able to pay my rent. Friends suggested that I look for a job in retail sales. So as the weekend approached, I decided to apply to stores in the area where I might find sales work, despite not having worked in that capacity for over two decades. 

Monday morning arrived. I called the practitioner again for help. To my surprise, he said all he wanted me to know for the day was that someone was praying for what I had to offer. In other words, the search for work was not about me; it was about what I could give to someone else. I could fulfill their need, and in doing so, mine would be taken care of as well. This was the reverse of what mortal mind was telling me. With that, everything changed. I had never thought of the situation that way. It was a statement of assurance that was simple, meek, crystal clear, and exactly what I needed to know. 

The thought came to me to go to a specific retail store I had not considered previously, which was located near my apartment. I had worked for the same company at a store in another city, 24 years earlier. I went to the store and headed directly to Human Resources, where I was greeted by the department’s director. I then was inspired to ask, “Are you looking for someone who used to work for this store?” She said yes, and I was hired on the spot. 

Unfortunately, I started training with payment below minimum wage. It was not sufficient to make ends meet, but I was expected to make extra money through commission. Commission meant that the harder I worked, the more I could potentially make, but it was still the light at the end of a very long tunnel. 

I was provided with a surprising, yet appropriate, direction.

The second day that I was on commission was September 11, 2001. I arrived at work to find a department with no customers. Selfishly, I first wondered how I’d be able to get by with no one making purchases. I turned to God. What the practitioner had told me now became very clear: I needed to focus on readiness to meet someone else’s need—whether it was providing a listening ear to stranded airline crew who were passing through my department, or simply staying uplifted in my thought—and God would take care of me. For example, I was working in the television department with a wall of about 50 screens. I decided that a caring thing to do was to have the news coverage on only one television, for those who did come into the store to see what was developing. It was an important balancing act—allowing people to view the news, but not overwhelm them with images. This was the day I had a significant change of thought, and after that, I saw my job differently. No external event could stand in the way of God’s promise of universal good for everyone.

What I discovered a little later was that my employer was not only filling a position in hiring me, they were also gaining someone who could use his previous experience to mentor others. Immediately my fulfillment truly did come from the growth and success of others.

Within two months I was moved to a different retail department, where the sales were larger and commissions higher. I worked for the company for five years. Later, the job evolved into a different career path where I am today. That path wouldn’t have opened quite that way without the sales experience I’d gained from the retail job. 

Through prayer, and the study and application of Christian Science, I was provided with a surprising, yet appropriate, direction. Within a year I was not only able to pay my bills and get my debt under control, but I even bought a house. I’m grateful for the lessons learned and the opportunities to grow, and I thank God for His continued guidance and protection.