Praying for Your Fellow Job Seekers

I sometimes wonder if this period of job hunting, which to me seems very long, is part of God's plan to open my eyes to other folks in need of prayer.

I went to a job fair last week. It was hideously crowded. I saw so many people I knew from my last job. While waiting in line, I indulged in some people watching. More than half the crowd (and we are talking hundreds of people vying for maybe a dozen positions) was dressed in interview clothes. I'm always a little shocked by people who come to these things wearing flip-flops and tube tops. I guess they're expecting a different type of event than I am. (And they were probably closer in their expectations since I did not actually get to talk to anyone regarding the position for which I was applying.)

Most of us had our game face on as well: bright and confident, trying to come off as the type of person you want working for you. But some had clearly given in to despair. Being overweight myself, I always notice the other folks who are heavy and how they are presenting themselves. One poor man looked like he had given up: slumped posture, rumpled clothing, tie askew. He looked like he'd already had a tough day at work, and maybe he had, but chances are that he, like me and my former co-workers, had been laid off months ago and had not yet found a position. I prayed for him.

After I had been seen (briefly) and delivered my resume, I stayed to talk to folks I knew. Again, while most of these folks were upbeat and putting on a good show, a few admitted that they were not doing well, so they, too, went on my prayer list.

I do not like being unemployed. I do not like the uncertainty it gives and the worry about the future if things do not pick up. But I think God has given me this time to notice His graces to me, increase my compassion for my fellow human beings, and draw closer to Him while praying that others draw close as well.