I’m ready to defer this haphazard career journey I started in August. As much as substitute teaching and exploring special education excite me, that “Change Yo Life” fund is empty, and not having a steady paycheck is hard. But giving up your financial security and not having a “shit hits the fan” safety net sends my anxiety into overdrive.
Each time I reach this step off of this path point, someone or something pulls me back. Maybe, it’s my first day of substitute teaching, and that voice I hear telling me this is the place that I should be. Later that same day, I watched the uber-talented high school glee club perform “Beyonce’s Freedom.” Freedom was my theme for 2020. When I told my Life Coach this first day of substitute teaching story, she labeled the concert performance a big, loud sign from the universe and dubbed it a miracle. But, was it?
I could easily forget about my first day of substitute teaching, but then other signs pop-up. Two days ago, on a return trip from Storage Field Day, I had a conversation with a stranger. She and I stood next to one another five days earlier as we boarded the plane in Baltimore. This time around, we conversed. She told me about how she loved the work she does for a non-profit that helps people suffering from Stage 4 cancer. This organization supports cancer patients and survivors in living their best life. Because she had been affected by family member’s cancer, this mission was profoundly personal and purposeful to her. It’s all really inspiring, but here’s what felt like a powerful message:
She said that when you do work that you love and is aligned with your purpose, God finds a way to provide for you. That everything works itself out when you are patient and trust God. She also talked about how her children grew into such amazing men because they saw her setting this example of doing work that matters.
Could this be a coincidence? I know our internal world colors our interactions with others. This message, though, felt perfectly tailored for me at a time that I needed it. Did the universe use this stranger to tell me to be patient, continue on, and trust that the money will work its way out?
It feels easier to believe that life is a video game simulation than to attribute these random moments to synchronicity or God’s hand. Is there a more logical explanation than all of this magic and meaning beyond our comprehension? I keep seeing themes of God, purpose, and doing the work you love in conversations with strangers, and they are hard to ignore.
My life coach divides people into two camps. Everything is a miracle, and those who see only the nothingness of life. Me, I’d probably have to flip a coin to pick my camp. How about you? Do you believe that all around there are signs from God or the Universe if you pay attention?