Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God is faithful. He proves it over and over again. Sometimes we are too blinded by our own struggles to see God moving. I’ve had my share of trials, and am still in the middle of trials. As I look back at what God has done, I can see His faithfulness in the midst of the trials. I can see His good works that He works through the trials. When I rededicated my life to the Lord on July 4, 1996, I had no idea what trials lay before me, or what blessings would come as a result.

I graduated High School in 1991. I was an average student simply because I didn’t apply myself in school. I was discharged from the Air Force during basic training. I never completed any college. That wasn’t a very impressive resume and didn’t open me up to many job opportunities. As a result, I was working security at a mall in Riverside, California, with no real hope of having anything better.

Inside the mall where I worked was a company called “Internet in a Mall.” It was an ISP that offered its service from kiosks inside malls and stores. I had signed up for my Internet service through them, and whenever I had problems, I would talk to them in person. Over the few months I had their service, I got to know the employees and they got to know me, and my knowledge of computers.

I think it was September of 1996 when one of the guys came up to me while I was working security. He told me that they were opening a new location and that I was already hired, I just needed to fill out the application as a formality. I didn’t even ask for the job.

By November of 1996, I was already assistant manager at my location, in line to become manager to a new location that was going to be opening in Washington. I was told I was one of the top sales people, and I helped a number of people with support issues right from our kiosk.

At the same time, I had met a girl over the Internet. She was a Christian who lived in Washington. She was the reason I wanted to take the manager position in Washington, as my location would have been about a two hour drive from where she lived.

September of 1996 through January of 1997 appeared to be a great time of blessing from the Lord. Getting that job was a blessing, but my advancement in the company was more me doing things on my own. I worked long hours, I skipped church, and still worked security at the same time. I heard the Lord warning me that I needed to slow down, to spend more time with Him. I refused to listen, so finally, He took out His rod of correction.

It was February or March of 2007 (I can’t remember exactly) when I got the call that Internet in a Mall was bankrupt. The call shocked me, in that I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was still determined to find a way to Washington, even if that meant looking for a job up there. That was until my girlfriend realized that it wasn’t the Lord’s will and broke up with me. Everything I had put my trust into and that I was striving toward was taken away from me. I had only one place to look, and that was to the Lord.

True, I could have blamed God for what had happened, but I didn’t. When I surrendered to Him, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off me, much as I had felt when I rededicated my life to Him. In my heart I knew that everything would work out.

Since I was still working security, I was able to increase my hours at the mall, so I was not without a job. In addition, a few days later, I got a part time job with Linkline, a local ISP, primarily to help them with tradeshows. That job soon moved from its once or twice a month to a part-time tech support job.

In the summer of 1997, I was working part-time at Linkline and full-time as security. Things had to change, though, as changes in security were forcing me to make a choice. I knew I needed to leave security, but hadn’t yet gone full-time at Linkline. It was the weekend of a Promise Keepers event in Los Angeles, and on the way there, I told the Lord, “I know I need to quit security, but please, give me some sort of confirmation that this is the right decision.” I didn’t know what the confirmation would be, but I left it in His hands.

At the end of the two day Promise Keepers event, I got a phone call from one of the managers at Linkline. They were going to offer me a full-time position starting the next day. I was in tears with that clear confirmation from the Lord. He had answered my prayer in the clearest way possible.

The next day I went and spoke with the manager. I accepted the job on one condition. That condition was that I needed Sundays free to attend church. He told me that if I worked Sundays for one month, until another person could leave his other job, then he’d work Sundays and I’d have them free. I agreed, and true to his word, when the other person came full time, he took my Sunday shift, allowing me to not only attend but to start becoming involved in my church.

Linkline’s office was right down the street from my church, and it wasn’t always very busy at work. I was told that when we weren’t on the phones, we could do our own projects if we wanted to, so I worked on my own web site in my free time, a Christian site called “Door to Christ Ministries.” On my hour lunches, I would go to our church bookstore and do reasearch for studies that I would later put on the site. It was a real blessing working there.

My time there, though, was limited to about a year and a half. One of the supervisors at my job really loved the work I did, and knew that I was good at resolving technical issues. Another supervisor complained about how I was on the phone, but didn’t tell me how to correct it. Finally, on Friday, February 13, 1998, I was unexpectedly fired.

It happened as I came back from lunch, having just finished working on some studies. It hit me like a ton of bricks, because I didn’t even see it coming. Even at that time, the supervisor couldn’t tell me what I had done wrong, other than I did things wrong on the phone. Once I was out the door, I was in tears, not knowing what I would do. Unlike the situation with Internet in a Mall, I didn’t have a security job to fall back on.

At first, I started driving aimlessly, not knowing what to do, and afraid to go home. I still lived with my parents at that time, and didn’t know what to say to my mom. Then, as if by revelation, I decided to go to the church for prayer. I knew I needed it.

While waiting in the church foyer for an elder to pray with, I saw a picture with a single verse on the wall. Jeremiah 29:11. I don’t know if I read that verse before that time, but it was at that moment that the Lord burned that verse into my heart, and why I call it a “life verse” for me to this day.

After the prayer, I got back in my car and put in a worship tape. I worshipped the Lord with all my heart as I drove home. When I did get home, I was filled with the joy of the Lord. I walked into the house and my mom asked why I was home. Almost non-chalantly I answered that I had been fired, but I wasn’t worried.

I was out of work for six weeks, yet the Lord proved faithful to provide for my needs, without having to rely on my parent’s support. I’m sure I had a little from them here and there, but for the most part, I was able to make it by.

At the end of the six weeks, I was hired by Earthlink. I knew that if I applied there I would be hired. They had aquired Internet in a Mall after the bankruptcy, and despite the termination from Linkline, I knew I’d have a good reference from there. Combined with my computer experience, I had no doubts. The only reason it took so long was that I tried to find another job without having to return to an Internet tech support job.

As I was being hired, I gave the same stipulation about Sundays, but they couldn’t promise me that. They said that everyone who started had to work evening weekends. After I was there three months, I could petition for a new time slot. I agreed, knowing that my mornings would still be free for church, and that it was only temporary.

Again, the Lord proved faithful. After completing my training period, I was told that there was an immediate opening in a morning M-F shift. I was able to switch and take that position without having to wait the full three months.

I only worked for Earthlink for six months total. This time, though, was by choice. I left Earthlink with a good record and reference to work for a friend from church, Robert. He was an independent sales rep for a company called “Calyx Software.” I worked for him out of his home doing sales, maintaining his computers and network, and doing web work for him.

I worked for Robert for five years. They were an awesome five years. Yes, there were difficult times, but I don’t even see those clearly anymore. He had paid for me to go to college, extension courses for web design and web programming. He encouraged learning so that we could go onto bigger and better things. It was a shame it all had to end.

September of 2003, Calyx Software underwent a transition. They did away with their independant sales reps in favor of a centralized sales force. Everyone was pulled into the company (that wanted to stay with the company). As a result, I was moved up to Monterey, California, to work for Calyx in their QA department. It was a drastic cut in pay as well as a move to a more expensive area, but I knew that this was the Lord’s will.

My wife and I have lived in the Monterey area since October 2003. We’ve gotten involved in a new church up here, and have seen the Lord move. I’m still with Calyx, now transitioning into a development role. The Lord has always provided our needs, and blessed us abundantly, despite our trials.

Since 1996, my career has seen dramatic changes. What looked like dark times was really the Lord proving true that “he works all things for good.” Of course, my career and finances weren’t the only blessings in my life, nor were they the only trials. They are only one aspect of what the Lord has done, and why I will never turn away, no matter how dark things appear to become.