~ fear God and keep his commandments ~
Hello from El Paso, Texas In Fine Fettle readers!!
I apologize for the delay in this post but as always appreciate all your patience.
I’ve gotten a million questions over the past couple weeks so I hope in my effort to update y’all, this post doesn’t disappoint ;).
My intentions to pursue a career in nursing was always with the mindset that it was a steady income, high demand, and I could go literally anywhere with it. Travel nursing was always my dream for as long as I can remember, now I am living it.
(p.s. this is not a post to persuade you all to switch to nursing… although I highly recommend you consider it if that sounds like something you may enjoy :))
On November 22, my friend presented a job opportunity to make some dollars travel nursing with what seemed to look like only one downfall at the time, we had to be in Texas by 2200 (10pm) the next day.
After a couple hours contemplating the risks/benefits and of course… lots of prayer, we made the decision to try and get the job. I prayed that if it was meant to be, God would open the door. If it wasn’t meant to be, then God would close the door and I’d walk away free of harm.
Well, by 1900 (7pm) we both got the job, quit our jobs in Michigan, bought our plane tickets, packed and jumped on a plane to El Paso Texas the next day.
It was definitely a leap of faith. Blessings along with some growth and it’s own challenges.
I haven’t gotten to “travel” Texas as much as I would like because my current job requires me to work 12 hour shifts six days a week but in the time I do have, I’ve been thinking a lot about Solomon.
A man known as the wisest person to ever walk this earth yet also known for having everything and still struggling to find meaning for his life.
I was a little scared to step out of my comfort zone. To travel to a new place, work at a new hospital, meet new co-workers but the scariest part turned out to be the thought of being here, doing my dream job, yet feeling empty.
The work in Michigan was hard, I was stretched thin a lot of the times but looking back I realized I took the exhaustion at the end of the day as a sense of satisfaction. When I started work here in Texas, I only saw probably a fourth of patients I was used to seeing. Which honestly felt a little disappointing.
Working 6 days a week has it’s own toll on you but working 6 days and feeling like you haven’t really done much at all just feels meaningless.
Have you found the meaning of your life? Are you suck searching for it today?
Ecclesiastes is far too long and holds too many great takeaways for me to review all in this one post but I do encourage you to take this next week to read through it on your own. Especially if you’re in need of a new perspective for your life.
In summary, as an outsider looking in Solomon was the kind of man who had it all. He even says himself in Ecclesiastes 2:10, “I (Solomon) denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.” Solomon was a king, he had money, houses, vineyards, he had women (700 of them to be exact, plus 300 concubines), he had all the wisdom, he had male and female singers for himself, he had children and fame.
Yet, when it came to the end of Solomon’s life, he began reflecting on everything he had and achieved and saw it all to be meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Being here in Texas has given me a chance to pause and reflect on my own life, in which I too have found to be meaningless when apart from my God!
I’ve come to realize (or maybe i’ve always known and was just reminded) that it may not be my job to find every meaning and the purpose of every situation. I have been placed here to continue searching for my God who gives meaning, purpose and insight all in it’s perfect timing.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet, no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live… to find satisfaction in all their toil – this is a gift of God.”
Ecclesiastes 3:10
I started asking God, what is my purpose here? What is the meaning of all this?
In which he responded by, “to fear ME and keep my commands.”
“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”
Ecclesiastes 11:5
You may like me, feel confused sometimes but that’s when your faith needs to take over. God has a plan for you and as long as you are willing and open, he is doing big things right now! Even when you can’t see it or quite understand all of it.
Life is full of risk and of opportunities but it has no guarantees. Be prepared and firm in your faith for anything to come your way. Have a spirit full of trust and adventure, face life’s risks and opportunities with God-directed enthusiasm and faith.
One day, your world will come to an end and you will too be forced to reflect on all you’ve done during your time on earth and you will be judged for it.
So, again I tell you, fear the Lord and keep his commands. For you will be blessed eternally for it.
As for me, I plan on staying in Texas until December 20th, be back home (Michigan/Ohio) for the holidays, then journey on my next travel assignment. Continuing to seek God alone and remember that complete satisfaction will come from him alone and nothing else.
Keep the faith my friends.
xoxo,
Claire Idelle
InFineFettle 