Years ago I found myself out of work for the first time. I was a freelance photographer, and all my usual job avenues had dried up. I still had a few small jobs here and there that provided enough to pay my rent and bills, but there wasn’t much left over. I considered going on welfare payments, but felt it best to first pray about my next step.

I called a Christian Science practitioner to pray with me, and she reminded me that God is always our true employer and that all our needs are met by divine Love. I knew our God-given talents could never be useless. Under God’s law of harmony, demand is always met by supply and vice versa. Shortly after this, the idea came to me that perhaps I could use my photographic skills in a slightly different way—I could work for a magazine or newspaper as a photo editor. This new job prospect excited me. I looked forward to learning new skills and putting my existing knowledge of photography to good use. The challenge was how to get into a popular industry with no formal experience, no contacts, and no job offers.

I started by making a list of magazines and newspapers that felt like ones where I would want to work. I found contact information for most of them online and sent my résumé and details. I called several and asked to speak with the photo editor; I wanted to find out how he or she had progressed into the industry and to see if there was anything I needed to do to improve my skills and qualifications. However, this effort got me nowhere. The photo editors were all too busy with deadlines and shoots to talk to me. It seemed that I had hit a dead end and that finding a job as a photo editor would be impossible. After a few weeks of unreturned emails and phone calls, I decided to leave it all in God’s hands. I continued to pray, trusting that God had a plan for me and that it would be good!

One afternoon I was assisting on a small photography job. As I was setting up lights for my boss’s shoot, a very clear message came to me: “Maybe this is where God wants you to be.” All of a sudden I was so grateful for the small job I was on, and it felt good to be using my God-given qualities and talents. I felt humbled. I remember thinking, “God, if this is where You need me to be, I am happy to be here.”

After the job was finished, I looked at my phone and saw that I had a voice mail message. The message was from one of the photo editors at a magazine I had contacted. I called her back, and she explained that they needed a new assistant photo editor, as the last assistant had left unexpectedly. She said my timing couldn’t have been better. I thought to myself, “Of course, God’s timing is always perfect!” We made arrangements for a trial shift the next day, and the day after that I was offered a permanent contractor position as an assistant photo editor. I was overjoyed!

I worked at that magazine for many years, learning new skills and expanding my love for photography. However, the spiritual lesson—to stay humble and trust God—will always be the highlight of this experience. I now know that we are always in our right place and that we can let God’s plan for us unfold, because His timing is always perfect.

Joy Rae-Hughes
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia