Working life...why stress about it

When I came in to the country back in December '04 to celebrate Christmas with my family, I was also hoping that I would find a job and be able to settle in New Zealand eventually. When I got married in '05, we both decided to see New Zealand and see what opportunities presented itself.

My wife was the first to find a job and was 'bringing home the bacon' for around 6months before I got my first job. That was a stressful time for me and it was especially hard since I felt completely useless as a man. I guess, I am a lot like my father in many ways. 

A friend from church offered me a temporary position in her school as a Teacher Aid and I gladly accepted it to pass the time and quite frankly, I was getting tired of  being at home all day. The job was fun  and I got to use the skills I obtained when I taught Sunday school. I always had the ability to communicate well with kids and this was a real treat. It also exposed me to New Zealand culture and the education system which is so different to what I'm used to back in Singapore. You can't compare the two systems as they are so different. 

Anyway, I must have been there 3-4 weekes when I got an offer to work . I jumped at the chance as I just wanted to start working again so we could start our life as a couple in our own place. It wasn't the most glamorous of jobs but I got on really well with my manager, Jesse who was happy with me and my work ethic. I was a Customer Service Officer.  I managed to get more and more responsibility handed to me and within a year was given the job of stock management and then got the chance to be a Customer Service Representative for a bank. 

In this role, I was able to hone my skills in Customer Service and also develop myself on a personal level. You see, I was a very reserved person and growing up, had a lot of difficulty starting a discussion,  approaching someone to talk to was a no-no and I would cry before I would do a forfeit in a game. The term introvert could not begin to describe what I was, so having to greet people and assist them while trying to have some casual conversation was nerve wrecking at first but I managed to work through it somehow. The job was hard in some ways as I was on my feet all day. I wanted more and was not sure what I could do to move from the current role. Jesse always gave me the opportunities to take on more. He eventually left that role to pursue another role within in the corporate offices.

One day I received a call from Jesse, he was wanting me to apply for a role as a Support Analyst. I was not too sure but the idea of finally being able to sit down was really enticing. I interviewed for the role to find out that the Analyst's role was supporting shops. I already knew most of the systems and applications used  if not all of them. The job offer was made within a few days and I accepted without hesitation. That was a choice I made now almost 3 years ago and today, I am a Manager within the same organisation and have been one for the last year. 

The reason I shared all this with you is because, I never knew what I wanted to do. When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, after watching Hollywood's version of what that entailed and the glamorous life Lawyers seemed to lead. That feeling quickly dissipated when I read Law at university. After that, I had no idea what I should do or not. I even dabbled in Design which I still love to this day. Click here for my Webpage on Design

The thing is, I believe in God and that He has a plan for each of us if we hold on to Him and trust Him. In every part of my journey so far, I have done so and believed this. Each position led to the other and the experience in one fueled the desire to do the other. I know my journey isn't over yet and there will be many doors that will either be wide open or shut really tight, but I am not going to stress over what happens as I know He holds the future and it IS good!! Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.