Scripture
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to ear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”
-Matthew 6:25-34
Chapter 1
All I need is a dang-on job. Been applying everywhere. For weeks, months. Somebody’s gotta hire me. Somebody. Alright, here we go. Google. Search. Jobsites. J-o-b-s-t-e-s. Oh, forgot the i. I. Enter. Alright, let’s see what we got here. A-d-m-i-n. Enter. Yup, 25-mile radius. Check. Okay. Administrative Assistant. Phone work. Travel vouchers. Schedule meetings. Some travel. 30k. 30k? And I have to do all that? 30k can’t even pay my rent for the year. Ridiculous. Next. Administrative Assistant. Customer service work. Filing. Organizing project files. Greeting customers. 40k. 40k? I don’t know. Greeting customers? Sometimes people get on my nerves. They always think they’re right. Next. Administrative Assistant. Hospital Inpatient customer service desk. Filing medical records. Coordinating with doctors. Doing billing. 50k. Alright, money’s good. But billing? I don’t know. Never been that good with numbers. If I was, I probably wouldn’t be in the financial situation I’m in now. Gotta be something better. Next. Alright, Administr-
Ring
Who’s that calling?
“Hello?”
“Yes, I’m calling for Lorna Tomlinson.”
“This is her.”
“Hello, Ms. Tomlinson. This is Katy Booker. So happy to speak with you. I’ve left several messages. I just wanted to try one last time to extend the offer.”
“Oh, well-“
“Before you answer, let me just tell you about the position again. After our phone interview last month, I really think you’d be perfect for it. It’s at our Teen Home. You’d be working with fifteen teenagers who are residents there. You’d be assisting three managers to help oversee our residents’ general lives and manage the house. You’d also be planning activities, going grocery shopping, helping the kids buy supplies and assisting them with learning important adult skills. Sounds great, huh?”
“I don’t know.”
“We offer three weeks’ vacation.”
“I see.”
“And it pays forty-five k.”
“Forty-five? That’s it?”
“Well, we pay full health insurance premiums. You get a bonus at the end of each year, too.”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s an Assistant Manager position, but there’s room for advancement.”
“I see.”
“I really think you’d be perfect for it, Lorna. We love to hire people who have similar backgrounds as our residents. All of the managers were once orphans, too.”
“Orphans? Who said I was an orphan?”
“It’s on your Facebook page.”
“It is?”
“Yes, we saw that you lived in foster care since you were seven.”
“Oh, I thought I took that down.”
“Is that not the case?”
“What does my personal life matter to you? Why can’t I just interview for a job like everybody else?”
“I didn’t mean to offend you, Lorna. I just thought you’d be able to relate better to the residents than someone who did not have a similar background.”
“Well, you don’t know anything about me.”
“So, you’re not interested?”
…
“Lorna?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“I tell you what. Why don’t I hold this offer until close of business tomorrow. If I don’t hear from you, then we’ll move on with another candidate. But, I really hope to hear from you.”
Chapter 2
“Lord, what do I do?
I need a job.
No, I need money. That’s what I need.
At least that’s what I think I need.
I don’t want to go back to that.
I don’t want to relive that again.
No mother. No father. No family.
Trying to figure out life on my own.
Who wants to go back to that?
I’d be surrounded by that every day if I took that job.
What do I do?
What do You think I should do?
You never really let me go.
You always made sure I had food and shelter and clothes.
I mean, even now I’m okay.
Even my jobs You gave me.
But…
Why that job?
Why do I have to go?
Well, I guess You’d do the same.
Actually, people did that for me back then – that’s how I made it through.
Okay, so You’d do the same.
You’d take the job.
You’d give Yourself to those kids.
Just like You gave myself to me.
Lord, give me the will I need to go.
Give me the strength I need to do that work.
Give me the resources to live on that money.
Give me the heart I need to love those kids.
Lord, just help me to be like You.
Lord, deepen my trust in You.
Because that’s really what it all boils down, too.
Trust.”
Chapter 3
“Hello Katy?”
“Good morning, Lorna! Happy to hear from you. Hope it’s good news.”
“It is.”
“Well?”
“I’ll take it.”
“Wonderful!”
“When do I start?”
“Well, let me talk with H-R. We’ll need some paperwork from you, but I’d say next week looks good.”
“Okay.”
“What made you change your mind, Lorna?”
“Well, let’s just say that I had to put my trust elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere?”
“Oh, never mind. Send me the paperwork to my email, Katy. I really look forward to starting.”