Skip to main content

Finding Clarity From Swamps

Did you know you can find clarity from swamps?

I shared recently with a friend who is processing a difficult situation that he and I were in our own "swamps." It's difficult, frustrating, confusing, easy to get bogged down, scary, and has lots challenges. But if we weren't there, we would never learn what the Lord is trying to teach us.

My layoff is like a swamp.

I grew up writing poetry and short stories. Writing is what I've loved since middle school. Just before 10th grade, the Lord introduced me to broadcast radio. Never had I considered working in radio but what kid in the late 80's didn't like radio and have their favorite DJs?! I used my writing skills there and developed a love for audio production and voice-overs. I figured the future held my becoming a General Manager of one or several Christian radio stations. Radio seemed to be where He wanted me. All the while, I was self-learning web development.

However, the Lord led me into broadcast television where I used my love of writing, production, and continually growing web skills but also I discovered a love for video editing. Putting pictures with sound, aye, Lord? Ok, I see what You're doing! So, TV is where You want me! And to grow that experience, He brought me to Washington, DC, to build an online department at WUSA9 and manage a staff. While my online skills grew, my production skills went on the shelf and my writing became more memos, documents, and process.

When it was time to move on from there, all of my broadcast skills and the more focused online skills led me to AOL. Again, not what I was expecting or considering but I could see how the other jobs led me there. Little did I know going to AOL would be an answer to prayer for a few folks. That job grew from program management, to project management, to to nearly product management. These were fields I never considered going into but were where my skills naturally fit. For example, the memo, document, and process writing along with the building and leading a staff at WUSA9 helped my project management, mentoring several creative personnel, and interacting with other teams.

So, what's next? I honestly do not know. That has been unclear for almost three months. Is it Digital Project Management? Something entirely different? This is why I'm in a swamp right now. I know that He'll lead me out of it and I'll be better for it.

This is also true for you, friend, if you find yourself in a swamp. It's perfectly fine to be there! Regardless what others may say, you are not less a person for being there! Just don't stay there. Trust in Jesus to be your guide. He'll never leave you or forsake you.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

See You Around, Mike

Three weeks ago, I attended the memorial service of a dear Brother in Christ. Sunday, June 10, would've been his 56th birthday. I miss my friend. But what's sad is that I didn't miss Mike until he was gone. At least in the middle of the odd month, but definitely by the last week of it, Mike would always reach out to me with a request. It was usually to load a certain worship music video or some game show music. Sometimes, he needed some specific slides created or sound effects. Mike put a lot of thought into preparing the lessons. For certain lessons, Mike asked the kids to write something that was bothering them or something that was a sin. Then he had them take hammer and nail to that card and attach it to an old rugged cross. Mike often brought in props to physically connect the Bible stories to the kids. For example, when he dressed as an innkeeper and walked in a wheelbarrow full of fresh cow manure. He was adding the smell of a barn to the lesson just to help
Post a Comment
READ THE FULL STORY »

May We Never Forget

On this 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I'm posting below a story I wrote on the 10th anniversary. These are my reflections on that day.  Looking at the first paragraph, it's interesting how times change. No one has asked me questions of where I was or what I was doing. I'm not sure if many of us have forgotten but more likely we're so very distracted. We've navigated almost two years of a pandemic that's taken and changed so many lives. We've navigated political and cultural changes poorly and emotionally to the point of creating more divisions.  We are not the country we were the weeks and months after 9/11. The bipartisan efforts then were refreshing. The amount of American flags flying proudly and in solidarity was inspiring. Today, it seems many despise their own country and its flag. But even this is not new. While she has stumbled over the years and will continue to do so - America will always be the most amazing country in the world. It
Post a Comment
READ THE FULL STORY »

Reverse Discrimination of Christmas

With Christmas slowly fading from your memory, did you find yourself this year taking a stand for Christmas? I'm not talking about stealing the stand beneath the Christmas tree. Perhaps you missed it but 2009 was the year of sticking it to retailers who refused to display or say "Merry Christmas!" Boycotting secular businesses because they aren't promoting Christmas: righteous or ridiculous? I'll vote for both.
2 comments
READ THE FULL STORY »