Unexpected Blessings

If you ever need a healthy dose of affirmation -- or want to find other believers at work -- just quit your job.

On Tuesday, I sent an e-mail to about 150 folks here at M. D. Anderson letting them know about my plans to leave to go to work for my church. These were people that I work with currently or have worked with during my three and a half years here. The response has been an amazing blessing.

First, people say nice things. Maybe they realize that this is their last chance to share their thoughts so they finally speak up. Or maybe they are just being nice. But as of today, I have received 83 e-mails -- and one phone call. Sure, some are short and to the point ("Congratulations! Sounds like a great opportunity. I wish you well!").

But others are ones that I will forward to my personal e-mail to read on a day in the future when I need a little boost. It's funny how we don't take time to express our gratitude toward one another until we're faced with losing somebody. And I am equally guilty. When a co-worker retired a couple of months ago, I realized just how valuable she was to our team and to guiding me in my job here when I first started. As her departure loomed closer, I finally took the time to thank her.

Second, people reveal their faith. Many of the e-mails referenced the "blessing" of "serving the Lord" in my new job. Several mentioned where they attended church -- or that they just started going to Beth Moore's Bible study at HFBC on Tuesday nights. Some quoted scripture. And almost all of these were from people with whom I had never discussed my (our) faith.

Since I did not work extensively with some of them, there was not much time for us to get to know one another. Otherwise, we might have discovered our mutual Father. That said, I have been blessed to work very closely with several strong believers on my team -- many of whom lent a listening ear as I struggled with the decision to leave M. D. Anderson.

OK, so maybe quitting your job is a bit dramatic if all you really need is a little boost. But if you are considering making a job change, be sure to have an e-mail ready to go -- and then sit back and watch what God reveals to you.