Testimony from Tessa of TessaHardiman.com
For so long, things happened quickly for me. A quick acceptance into college. A “quick” courtship — I met my husband right out of high school, which was much sooner than most of my peers. I grew used to having things happen to me fast.
Then, I graduated college and began a job search. My long established trend of quick came to a close. After two complete years out of school, I have yet to find a permanent position in my field. The waiting period has been a tough teacher.
Here are a two things I have learned along the way:
1. You never know what you will discover.
Sometimes our passions are rediscovered in the waiting. I kept a diary on and off throughout my adolescence, but I became a more committed writer when I had to wait. I worked on and completed a full-length novel.
I wrote and had articles featured on huge blogs, including a few here on MoneySavingMom. I was able to work on my first ebook in between temporary employment periods. The waiting time enabled me to develop my creative side.
2. You can be better prepared for any future waiting periods.
I hope I never have to experience the sort of waiting that I’ve had to the past two years. After a few temporary assignments, my hopes would soar that perhaps my waiting was about to end. I would only end up disappointed and back in the same spot. The ups and downs from being employed and then back to unemployed nearly sent me into depression.
Am I thankful for that experience? Not at this moment! I do, however, hope that in the future I will be better prepared to deal with any difficult experiences with waiting.
Waiting is never fun. I like things to happen fast, but this has forced me to slow down. I understand the lessons that I’m learning, but I wish there was an easier way to learn them!
Tessa Hardiman is the author of Surviving and Thriving: 21 Tips for First Year Teachers, available now on Amazon. You can connect with her on her website, tessahardiman.com.
Janel says
Waiting…..what wisdom comes with it. I lost my job August 1st 2014. They let me “go” what a hard situation to accept as never before had I been let go never and I was 53 . Still applying for jobs in my field still interviewing and still waiting for that God giving place where I am needed and will be happy. Because to be completely honest I was so miserable in my last job loved my position the work environment miserable. In the meantime during this learning process I work at a covinence store (yes I do) and I have taken on two major projects in the community and working on a third. First involved a homeless man of four years and yes he is 82 (he has a forever home now) second was buying and delivering over 3,000 dollars worth of Christmas gifts to children that would have been without this pass year. Now note I did not do these things alone it took a village to accomplish these goals and money and helping hands from so many people and agencies. But I used my networking and professional skills to get things done. Because I am a survivor and a giver and we always have to find a way to make the best of every situation and be and example. So Tessa keep on fighting and keep on giving because that wonderful job offer is just around the corner for me and you~ God Bless
Janel
Maegen says
Hi, Tessa,
Are you still hoping for a teaching position?
If so, make sure there is something on your website about those goals and how potential employers can contact you. A lot of principals are tech savvy these days, and if they stumble across your impressive site, they might want to know more! Good luck with all your endeavors.
Hannah says
Nicely written post. Thank you for sharing.
Like you, I got my acceptance letters quickly and married young. When we decided to pay off our debt, we were able to do it quickly in less than a year. I also became pregnant the first month trying, but then lost the baby and had two more miscarriages in the following months.
Now we are waiting for Dr. appointments, and waiting for test results to figure out what is wrong. We are also considering adoption, which includes a lot of waiting as well.
I know this place is a season, and that someday when we look back it will just be a blip in the radar, but right now it is so hard. Thank for your testimony.
Tessa says
Hannah,
I pray you get some answers and clarification soon. My heart aches for the pain you’ve already dealt with…may good periods of waiting come your way soon. Much love!
Jessica says
I was very antsy to become a mom, as I saw colleagues and friends and family having their first child. Lo and behold, I unexpectedly got pregnant and my DH and I were blessed with our first. We have three now (one was on purpose!).
Now we’re contemplating a move to the neighborhood where our oldest child’s school is. The houses there are pricier, older and smaller. Much smaller. Like around 1400 sq ft, while our current house is just over 2000 sq ft. That neighborhood is also much closer to DH’s work and would relieve a burden from him as well. Now we just need for the “right” house to come along and the right buyer for our current house!
Meanwhile, I’m not passively waiting. I’m decluttering our possessions so that when we do move, whenever that might be, it will be more streamlined, simpler and faster.
Heather says
Nice reminder from this post. I like this quote: Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.” -G.M. Trevelyan
Luba says
Thank you for the beautiful quote!
Tessa says
Awesome quote!
Deb says
It’s in the waiting that I think we learn a lot about ourselves and how much we’re willing to trust God to provide. I’ve been waiting for the Lord to answer my prayer for a Godly husband for over 20 years – every day I ask why I’ve been allowed to walk such a lonely and forsaken road but what I’ve learned is that God is with me no matter what and there are a lot of people in the world who are much worse off than I am. It hasn’t lessened the pain I feel in my heart that I don’t have that special man in my life so share life’s joys and burdens but I’ve learned to become thankful for what I do have and trust God for the rest. No matter where God has you in life, you can be a blessing to someone else by just using the gifts He’s given you to share with others….
Marisa says
“No matter where God has you in life, you can be a blessing to someone else by just using the gifts He’s given you to share with others….” So beautifully put.
Tessa says
Your positive attitude and quote are so encouraging. Much appreciated!
Sara@Save Money, Live Joyfully says
I once read an insightful devotional that said we’re ALWAYS waiting for something. Whether it’s to find a spouse, to get pregnant, to have the baby, waiting for baby to sleep through the night, or to walk, or to start school. Or waiting for a job opportunity, or for grief to pass, or for children to move out, or to retire…etc.
The sooner we realize that life is essentially a whole lot of waiting for things, the better equipped we are to learn and have fruitful waiting periods, instead of being impatient and having passive waiting periods.
Recently, we had to wait for some medical tests to come back regarding our infant son. Months that felt like an eternity. Then we had to wait for his surgery. Then we had to wait for his devices to be activated. Now we’re waiting to find out how the therapy is working. But, in the midst of it, I’ve prayed to have a teachable spirit, and have been amazed at the things God has taught me through a period I would normally have just sat waiting impatiently and wishing they were done and over with.
The Prudent Homemaker says
Well said, Sara.
Tessa says
Love that perspective Sara…thank you for sharing it here.
Cathy says
There is a strength developed in waiting. Waiting is so much more difficult that doing. I would much rather do “something” than waiting even if what I am doing is fruitless. ( I am such a planner and control freak.) It is a lot like worrying. At least I am obsessing about my problem even though I have no control.
BUT GOD..When I lost my job, God gave me what I needed. I needed to be alone with Him. I needed to stop and submit. I needed to grow in my faith. I hated it at the time, but looking back, it was a time of relationship growth between me and Jesus. I grew closer and developed a prayer and devotion life. I started to see Jesus in all the blessings and each blessing made themselves known because I just stopped long enough to see them. when interviewing for the jobs, I started to covet the no’s as much as the yeses. The answers were clear and I thanked God for letting His will be known. A year later, I got a job and the time I spent with the Lord has helped me deal with the spiritual warfare that I now encounter at work. The job is a blessing in so many ways but after all it is an assignment that the Lord has me on until He moves me somewhere else. I am still growing and learning so I still have problems in waiting and challenges in patience but the Lord is faithful and just to complete the work He started in me.
Sara@Save Money, Live Joyfully says
Great testimony Cathy. It sounds like you have a great perspective, and I, too, am grateful that God has promised to complete the work He began in us.
Tessa says
What a tremendous encouragement Cathy…thanks for sharing.
Mel says
Thank you for this testimony. I’m in a season of waiting re: employment as well, for the first time in my life, and it hasn’t been easy. After nearly a year, I do feel like I’m finally able to start seeing the lessons in the waiting, though. This week I plan to sit down and do some free writing on that subject and see what emerges. If nothing else, it will be a list of blessings, right?
Tessa says
Right there with ya Mel…good luck with your free writing this week.
Brandi says
I’m in the waiting stage now. I believe my job oppertunities were held back because we couldn’t move since my husband was finishing school. With him being done in May, I’ve had several interviews at schools I couldn’t consider in the past because they were too far away. I’m still waiting on answers back from those schools and still submitting lots of applications until God tells us where he wants us to be. The verse that has gotten me through this time is, “wait on the LORD, be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart, wait, I say, on the LORD”. It’s like God knew that I needed to hear it more than once, it’s ok to wait, God will give me a job where He wants me in His timing!
Tessa says
Great verse…thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
I met my husband at the ripe ‘old’ age of 30, married at 32. I made a list of qualities I was looking for in a husband; God provided a man with every single one. I didn’t become a parent until age 40, but wouldn’t have been able to afford to be a stay-at-home mom had we adopted my daughter when I was younger. Waiting has been a blessing to me!
“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31
Tessa says
Wow, waiting paid off tremendously for you. That’s awesome!
Susan in St. Louis says
Yes! I’ve realized that there is a special “joy” in waiting. It’s so hard to wait for an engagement to be fulfilled in marriage, or pregnancy in parenthood…and yet, there is a special anticipatory joy in the waiting that is different than the joy of the fulfillment. (Not too many dirty diapers in my anticipatory joy of waiting for a baby. 😉 ) That helps me get perspective when I have to wait now, to look for the joy that is unique to the waiting phase and will change in some major way when the waiting is over.
Tessa says
No dirty diapers is definitely a joyous thing!
Melissa says
Thanks for the testimony. I can so relate to this post. We accrued quite a bit of debt while my husband finished his Ph.D. Now, we have a more stable income and are able to avoid going into any more debt and also pay down about $500 a month, but it is slow going and sometimes discouraging.
In two years, though, all of our kids will be in school so I’ll be able to freelance full-time instead of part-time. My husband will also be done with his post-doc and get quite a salary jump. Now, we just have to make it through these two years, slowly, taking it one day at a time.
I hope that you find a job soon, but I’m so glad you were able to develop your creative side and find things you enjoy to keep you busy while you wait. Too many people get depressed and waste time while looking for a job.
Tessa says
Thanks for the well wishes Melissa! One day at a time 🙂