God's plan is the only one I need

Originally appeared on spirituality.com

I'd arrived in Louisiana full of enthusiasm, hoping to help with rebuilding efforts in the wake of hurricane Katrina. But my unpaid internship with the state government had left me feeling underutilized, disillusioned, and upset. After four weeks, I was ready to pack my bags and leave.

I sat in my office one Friday morning, looking at airline websites, ready to make reservations to leave town. I was angry that nobody seemed to realize how much I wanted to do for Louisiana—how much I could do for Louisiana. What storm victim was I helping by answering phones and filing papers?

I had dreamed of working in government after I graduated college. But at that point, I knew I could never deal with an environment like this. My anger turned to fear: if I couldn't stand government work, what else would I do when I finished my sociology studies? Surely a business wouldn’t employ me when they could hire someone with a degree in business administration?

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