I've been thinking a lot lately about purpose as you do when you're unemployed and have the time to think such things. Not that we shouldn't routinely consider our purpose in life, but with more time on my hands l'm more inclined to think through this.

Seth and I both graduated college the same year. He started working for Boston Scientific before he even graduated...working 20 hours a week from his dorm room. Since then he has been working for them and has been doing well within the company. He is good at what he does and he generally enjoys work.

Oh, l just noticed l chipped the worktop last night...wow, thats pretty intense!

I graduated college and moved to MN for 3 1/2 months to be near to my honey and to work here on a J1 Student working visa. The job l got was a blessing and a curse! I was thankful l had my very good friend Rachel with me in that place everyday, she really kept my spirits up! We worked with mostly Mexican/ South American immigrants and the majority of them did not speak English. We stuck stickers on labels in a leather warehouse day after day.

After I returned to Ireland l continued to look for work, hoping l would be able to use my degree in Art History to some advantage but not particularly counting on being able to use it in Cork! Up to Christmas l worked in a couple of different jobs, doing some nannying, working in the book store l used to work in through Uni, doing some awful menial jobs in which l didn't last very long, then l returned to the U.S and Seth and l got engaged that Christmas.

I returned once more to Ireland and continued looking for work, l got a weekend job working with Ford Fiesta which paid pretty well except for some funny incidents which cost us a little bit of money I then worked in a pharmacy for a number of months where l completed some training in basic first aid and OTC drugs. I think it was definitely worthwhile and though l'm still not very good with self medicating myself (e.g sleeping pills- which l will NEVER take again!!:) as my husband will attest to, l do know what to do and how to help!

Then l felt God finally brought me into a job he had waiting for me. I started working in a Frame shop/ Gallery and l really loved it. Mostly because of my workmates, but the job had plenty for me to do and a lot for me to learn.  I was very happy there.

That job came to an end when l finally got to marry my sweetheart and we left Ireland and came to MN. For 8 months l waited for my Greencard, some days l waited patiently, l loved having so much free time and being able to cook my husband awesome meals and have so much time to do housework! I also loved that l had free time to take all our visitors around MN.

When l got my Greencard l started applying to different places for work, within a 10 mile radius of where we lived. I knew l would not be using my degree because l wouldn't be travelling into Minneapolis every day. I wanted to be close to home so l could be home before my husband to start dinner! Not long after l started looking l got a job as a Respite teacher looking after 3 toddlers with special needs in a Daycare. l loved that l could look after this children and have an impact in their physical, mental and social development while they were in Daycare. I worked there a month and was laid off as they were making cutbacks.

Now l am back to scratch. Looking for something somewhere where l can basically just spend time with people and make friends! I do also want some mental challenge during my workday too though! 

As l looked back through this it made me question why it worked like this. Why should Seth have a desire and a skill so easily appliable to the workforce, why should he walk into a great job as soon as he leaves College? Why would it not work out like that for me? 

I do think its not fair sometimes, but then l remember that life is not supposed to be fair! No one said it would be! I have realised looking back that no matter what job I worked in and how much l loved or detested it, God was there. And as l moved from job to job (and seem to continue to do so!) l know that there are reasons. Some l know and some l don't. I know that l am being taught perseverence! Discipline... and l am being led from place to place to see the lives of others. That I may walk in and out of jobs, but l also walk in and out of lives. Some l teach, some teach me, some l help, some help me. I continue to try and see this, to know this, to know my purpose is simply to love and do my best in whatever l'm in. 

That is hard when l feel l need to use my degree, or my time or my ability or my availability to make the most money l can out of them. But l also know that that is not my purpose. I am here to serve, to love, to laugh and to enjoy life in the process! It is hard at times, but we don't develope character from an easy life. Not that my life isn't easy! But in my job-to-job process l wonder why sometimes! l trust that God is making me bigger and better in this process.

Now l must go out and pick up some applications and start to look for work again! I must find some more lives to be a part of...maybe permanently, maybe temporarily, but mostly for me to fulfill my purpose...