Full Hearts and God's Favor...

My job is actually a pretty good gig. Though i'm sure i take it for granted every other day. I don't know another job where the boss' wife keeps the kitchen stocked with all of our favorite snack foods, where bonuses are not unusual, where there is a closet full of diet cokes and other drinks from heaven, where there's a sofa specifically for nap-taking, or where the boss simply delights in taking us to a champagne lunch or treating us to a musical downtown. I mean really, people, this is not normal. And i need to remind myself of this on a more regular basis. This job was straight from God.

Grace.

But it's not just the perks that make this a wonderful job. Nope. It's the clients. I love the one-on-one with the clients. I love being an encourager or a calm voice that whispers hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. I think that's why i loved being a counselor---simply helping people. It's my passion. It's my heart. Just a few minutes ago, i had the pleasure of speaking with a client that came in just to hug me and thank me. You see, she was about to overdraw her bank account. She could not work due to physical disabilities. And today she went by the bank and received a deposit of over $50,000. (From Social Security). Tell me that's not a blessing. In our moments of need and desperation, the Lord comes through for His people.

Mercy.

This has actually been a common occurrence for my clients lately. I've been calling to give many clients good news that we've won their cases. And that feels like such an honor--being the bearer of good news. My phone calls are met with tears of joy most of the time. And often to my surprise, i hear them thanking the Lord. It's really the coolest experience. And ofcourse, my job has many demands and sure, there are parts that are truly tedious. But these times are all worth it when i get to deliver good news to a client. My heart is the most full when i am helping someone else.

Favor. Such favor.

I feel the Lord's favor just by being in this job. It's not perfect. It's not glamorous. But it's real. And it's good.

Say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Isaiah 35:4

Actually, this makes me think of the verse that the Lord gave me maybe 12 or more years ago. I wept when i saw it. It was like in that moment He wrote my calling on my heart:

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. (Isaiah 50).