Through the Lord Jesus Christ I am strong

This job change has been a roller coaster ride. At first you cast your net out as broad as you can as you are hoping for a quick turnaround. But the timeline of the employer is often far different (slower) than your own. But no matter...you have lots of possibilities and chances are very good that you are going to land something right away. But then you begin taking favorites and hoping for the best possible outcome. Perhaps it's because of the amount of effort you have made or the passing weeks or the struggles you have faced even securing an interview. Every letter, every job interview, every conversation with potential employers dominates your thoughts and begins to control your life if you let it. Often I am up at 5am and continue working long after the others are in bed for the night. It's not uncommon to spend 18+ hours during the day and weekends looking for work or preparing letters, resumes, and other documents with an occasional break here and there. Looking for work can be the hardest job of all--that's what I have found.

So why do I elaborate on the challenges one might face during a job search? It's because this is not unique to finding a job. We face many obstacles, and adversities are part of life's tests. I have listed just a few below that have come before our family:

• house sale
• relocation to Washington
• health challenges
• mission / marriage / relationships
• family hardship
• numerous vices and struggles

The point is that you face many obstacles in life that take all your attention and focus for a period of time, if you let it. So I have found that there are some regular strategies that alleviate allowing those concerns to overwhelm the more important things in your life:

• Show gratitude. Especially thank the Lord for walking with you through life's trials
• Make a concerted effort to help others. I found the most satisfaction from sending leads to others looking for work and helping them progress in other ways, too
• Read the scriptures and fill your mind with inspirational thoughts. That will give you renewed perspective and grounding
• Keep your covenants and follow the commandments to the best of your ability

These aren't new ideas. These are principles from the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we align ourselves with Him and keep His commandments, our problems are given proper perspective and our capabilities are expanded to satisfy the demands placed upon us.

As an afterthought, I would like to share with you one of my favorite quotes. Although President Kimball was talking about visiting teaching at the time, the following excerpt applies to many situations in our lives when the Lord guides our efforts, and it certainly does in my case today:

It is easy to get discouraged. It is easy to quit, but you must not fail. You remember how Nephi went into an impossible situation and couldn’t get the plates. His brothers couldn’t. They couldn’t buy them. They couldn’t bribe them out of the hands of Laban. They couldn’t force their way in, and their lives were hanging on a thread. In spite of all that, here comes one boy, unarmed, who walks into a city through a wall that was closed to him, through gates that couldn’t be opened, into a garden that was impenetrable, into a vault that was locked, among soldiers that couldn’t be bypassed, and comes out with his arms full of records to keep his posterity and others from perishing in unbelief. (See 1 Ne. 3–4.) source

Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ will succor us through all our challenges and beckon to us to allow them to help.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and ^aopen the door, I will ^bcome in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. source

I testify that promise is true!