Pam Padgett - teacher
When the Holy Spirit leads us, we are often led step by step. We may not see past the current step, but by faith that we have heard from God we take that step. And as we go in the way we are led, we find the way prepared for us by God.
Many years ago I was working as a secretary. Although I was grateful to
have a job, I started finding that I was bored. I turned to God and
asked if there was something I could do that would be more interesting
for me. But if HE wanted me to continue as a secretary, I'd try to be
content and do my job to the best of my ability. I didn't hear to make
any changes, so continued in my job.
Then one day my boss asked me if I'd setup a pc to start doing my work
on it. (At the time we used only typewriters and filed everything on
paper, but there was a pc in the department which no one knew how to use.) I
told my boss I'd be glad to try to do this, but that I didn't know
anything about computers.
Then I had the thought to ask if I could take
some computer classes, and he agreed to this. I went to a nearby
college and got a schedule of classes. My boss and I reviewed the
computer classes and selected two which sounded like they would give me
a good foundation in using a computer.
One of the classes was called "Basic". My boss and I thought this class
would give a basic understanding of computers. But the first night of
class as the instructor gave an overview of what we would learn, I found
out we were going to learn the computer programming language called
"Basic". As the instructor described programming, I knew this is what I
would enjoy doing. The other class helped me setup the pc at my job
and start doing my work on it, while I completed the programming class
and took another at night.
After taking a couple of programming classes, and enjoying them very
much, I wanted to work as a programmer. I asked God how to get a
programming job and was led to send letters to several businesses
telling my background. One of these businesses offered me an interview
and then a job as a part-time programmer and part-time secretary. This
gave me programming experience.
One day the technical lead at this company told me that the company was
having financial problems and that since I was just an entry-level
programmer, I would probably be the first to be laid off if finances
didn't improve. I turned to God and asked what I should do. Looking
for another job was something I dreaded, especially because interviews
were very hard for me. Not long after praying, my attention was drawn
to a class in how to interview. I believed it was the Holy Spirit
drawing my attention to this, so I signed up for the two-night class.
On the first night of the interview class the instructor asked each of
us what type of work we wanted to do. I told her I was looking for a
computer programming job. On the second night of the class, she told me
that FedEx was looking for entry-level programmers
and gave me the name and phone number of a woman at FedEx.
I called the woman at FedEx and she said she would give my resume to
managers looking for entry-level programmers. I immediately sent her my
resume, and a few days later I received a phone call from one of the
managers inviting me for an interview. After the interview, I was
offered a job and worked there until I retired more than twenty years
later.
Looking back, the way was completely prepared for me to change the type
of work I did. At the time I didn't know what computer programming was,
but this was the exact type of work that suited me. Taking each step I was shown by the Holy Spirit, the way was
prepared for me to do this type of work.