I'm coming a little late to this party - sorry. I heard Sheridan read out a comment from a listener last week, and her story sounded quite similar to mine, so it provoked me to post.

The listener was a law student, and was asking questions about whether there was meaning/purpose in the role of a corporate lawyer. I am a recently-graduated lawyer, and have spent a couple of years in the 'big end of town' corporate law firms. I too struggled with the idea that there couldn't possibly be meaning found in this area of work.

Towards the end of my school years, I started to feel that I was being called by God to do something. I was a good student and was getting good grades - and came to the realisation that much was expected of people like me who had been blessed with a pretty strong mind. I found myself reading the Parable of the Talents often, and I took it as a personal challenge. I felt guided to study law, - and graduated a couple of years ago.

The way I approached looking for work was this - I would pray the same prayer before I sent out every job application, and before every interview. It was along the lines of, "God, I don't know if this job is right for me, but You do. So if it's not right for me, please let me not get the job. But if it is what You have planned for me, then please let my application go through".

And I applied for all the jobs I thought God wanted me to apply for. Volunteer jobs, low-paid community law firms, law firms advertising for someone with a "commitment to social justice principles". No luck. Six months passed, and still no luck. A friend of mine offered to submit my resume to her firm (a nasty corporate one). I didn't want to hurt her feelings, and so I let her do it, convinced that God wasn't going to let the application go further. I got the job - shows how much I was in tune with God's plan.

I couldn't reconcile taking the job, but didn't really want to turn it down since I had made a deal with God that I would go where He led (I just didn't for a second it would be a corporate law firm). I chatted to a priest friend about it, who gave me advice that has stuck with me since. He asked me to imagine what corporate law firms would be like if everyone with a strong belief in God stayed away, and allowed these firms to be places where only people with little moral grounding worked. He asked me if I thought the world would be better off if there were no Christians in the big end of town to shine their light. And so I took the job.

So, I guess this is the way I have come to look at my calling. I'm not sure whether the actual work I do has purpose in itself - but I feel that I am called to be a witness to those in my workplace. I am open about my faith, particularly when people comment that I have a caring nature or an unusually positive outlook on things, and have had long conversations with people who had never really known very much about God.

I still do struggle with these questions, and sometimes get quite anxious about whether I am doing the right thing. And I think that's a good thing - I would never want to feel so complacent as to forget to 'check in' with God to make sure I'm on the right track. And I don't want to be so arrogant as to assume that I know what He wants from me. But for now, I feel like I'm in the right spot.

Hi Sheridan,
I love your show it is a great way to end your weekend by listening to your show.

Ever since I was about 10 years old I had always wanted to be a Veterinary Nurse. I didn't obtain the HSC results for this. However I did go to University and completed a Bachelor of Systems Agriculture Degree majoring in Rural Development from University of Western Sydney. I am 25 years old now. I graduated from University in 2004.

I can't find any work in the agriculture area which I am qualified in. Now I am working in a finance company doing administration which I absolutely love. I have been working with this firm in North Sydney for just over one year now.

I didn't dream of working in the finance industry but I am in it now and I love it. My prayers were answered by God with this job I have now where I am able to use the skills I learnt at University and apply it to the job I am currently doing.

This is my story.

Hi Sheridan,

You asked about stories of how one came to do what one is doing now. I studied Speech Pathology for 4 years, following lots of prayer with mom and lots of research during my Year 11&12 years. We felt that God was leading me there into a career in the health profession.

After almost completing the course I discovered that the studies were adversely affecting my health, working often 50 hours a week unpaid (student pracs) , and the fact was that I didn't feel that I had it in me to keep doing Speech Pathology, I was enjoying it because I chose to enjoy it, but I was not really passionate about it.

After much anguish and humbling of my pride (being one who isn't fond of quitting), I decided to take out a lower, related award (for which I am very much qualified) and decided to work for a bit before deciding on the next step. I thought I was heading towards a further degree.

I went on to work for a bit as a casual for a small business, and I took on odd temp jobs, as well as volunteering for church as an adult ESL teacher and admin assistant. I kept applying for jobs and didn't get much response back. I had one interview, but that fell through, with an ecumenical organisation. I sent in an application to Baptist World Aid Australia and after what seemed to be a long silence, (by which time I had forgotten about the application) they got back to me saying that I was shortlisted for interview. The last interview was for a very similar organisation, and because that fell through, I went into the interview convinced I wasn't going to get the job, that I was going to take it as a learning experience, and was therefore EXTREMELY relaxed.

Guess what? I've been working with them for just over 2 years now, and I love it so much. There is much to learn where I am. I am so thankful to God for where He has catapulted me, worlds away from the Hospitals and clinics of Speech Pathology. Every now and again my Speech training still comes in handy. God wastes nothing of my training, even right down to the filing.

God Bless, love you show.

Karen

I really enjoyed listening to this segment last night as well. I thought of calling in but didn't, and in any case the people who did call in had much more interesting stories than mine! It was interesting also that music seemed to be a common thread through the ones I heard.

I have struggled with the idea of earthly work for several years. I am 26 and have an arts degree with Honours. At the end of my degree my supervisors kept encouraging me to do a PhD. That was what I struggled with the most. It took me 2 years to decide to do it, during which time I worked at the university in teaching and researching roles.

The reason I struggled with it was that it seemed such a selfish thing to choose to do - to spend 3 or 4 years (or more) of my life studying a narrow sliver of the world to come out with an impressive sounding title. I still wonder if I've made the right choice.

I was encouraged by the caller who said that God will get us where He wants us no matter what, and also by the idea that our ultimate calling is to serve the Lord.

One of the things that helped me decide was actually not being confident in myself that I would be able to do it. That sounds like a paradox, but it works like this: I didn't feel that I could really do it, everyone around me believed I could, and so I had to say 'well God, if this is what I should be doing at this time in my life, you're going to have to help me!' Also, my church minister encouraged me by telling me that God loves Linguists just as much as anyone else! I figured that He had graciously got me through that far, helping me to write well, giving me skills in research and independent study, and helping me get first class honours when I wouldn't have necessarily thought that was possible. So I thought that couldn't have all been for nothing. It's a bit like Don looking back and seeing how God had gifted him in the field of technology.

I also can see how much academia needs Christians! I hope I can be a good witness here and, if I get a 'career' in academia, continue to be a good witness and lead people to Christ.

Thanks for such a great show!
Claire

Hi Sheridan love your show.
It is good to try to contact you or Openhouse as now I know what you look like.

You asked last night for people to ring regarding how do you find out your path in life.
I rang but you ran out of time I am Don from DiamondCreek.

As I am 59 years old my story is long so I will try to keep it brief.

For me the answer to that question started to crystalize 3 years ago when I was dragged to Uganda
by My Son in Law who was then a Pastor at a local church.
Before I went I said to God you will have to give me a letter if you want me to do any thing in regard to Uganda.
The request for a letter probably was saying how little I trusted God to speak and knowing he didn't send letters then I would be ok.

We went out into the back blocks of Uganda to a place called Bundabujyo one of the poorest places in Uganda.

We went for a Christian conference my Son in law wanted to attend.

One morning we were having Breakfast. We had invited a Ugandan man to come to Breakfast.
He had a letter for me. He said that before we arrived in Uganda he had a dream whereby he saw our party coming to Uganda. In that Party was a white haired man. That was me- Just call me old snowee.

He awoke and he says God asked him to write down a letter to that man. The letter contained some words and some questions I can only remember two of those questions they were, What have you done with your life in ragard to Christ and what are you going to do with the rest of your life in regard to Christ. I believe this African man saw these word as God telling me I should goto Uganda to help teach people technical stuff.

To me God was saying well you messed up your life so far and you will mess up the rest, your a failure and always will be.

I Cried bitterly but at that time did not know why.

6 months latter at Church the Pastor was running a Course and in it I was Councelled. Basically I was to ask God to reveal times in my life when I had been shamed.

Due to having been touched by Polio when young and having other problems I had about 5 shame points.
He asked me how I felt about God in regard to that. I said I was ok and then he asked again. I let out a cry of pain & tears that totally took me by suprise. It was then I realized that I had never trusted God.

He appeared to have let me down so many times in my life.
He then told me it was never meant to have been like that. To me those words would become so powerful.

I meet a number of christians who were angry with God.
Some would even say that when they meet him, they will tell him how they hung in there with him & how he hadn't with them.

To me the answer is simple- Sin is what messes up our life it is sin who took away that young ladies ability to play music. She may say that God did not stop the mutilation that occured to her and therefore he does not care. But his hands are tied. I think because we humans do not pray enough or protect enough.

Bad things happen to us Humans - even Christians. But God hates the bad stuff his plan will take time to unfold but all that we loose here, will be redeemed by our great redeemer.

I had become a Christian at 35 and so for the next 20 years tried to own my life but was still a believer.
I think it was the way I came to Christ - Through an intellectual pursuit not through an experience with God.
The Story of Paul his conversion and his writings challenged me with the question is it true.

My answer was it had to be so I accepted Christ & Christianity but never trusted Christ or his Church.
The only one who I could trust was me. Some Choice!

Over the last three years God has opened my eyes and challenged me to trust him.
For me the only life choice for a Chistian was to go into full time ministry.

I have worked for Telecom (28 y),Ericsson (8), ABC (3 months) Back to Ericsson (6months) And now for a company than requires my Electronic & computer skills.
Each time I left each of the above it was because of stress & pain. Each time I said to God well that's it no more Electronics or computers each time he placed me back into Electronics & computers.

Each time with a word from him or some set of circumstances that unmistakenly had his finger prints on it.

I finally realised the answer to the question What have you done with you life in regard to Christ?
I was gifted to be a technician to understand many things Electrical and to understand many things Computer.
But never gifted to be a pastor or misionary.

He also gave me the ability to teach - some patience is what is mostly needed to teach.
So I have worked in Elecronics & computers. That allowed me to provide my wife and 4 children a place to live.
To feed them, To give them transport. To talk to them about God.
It has been quite a struggle with some times of depression. Lots of physical & mental pain as I tried to please people in order to take away the effects of that Shame.
Now I thank God for the way he gifted me for the path he steered me on and that he finally got through to me to know I must trust him with my life, that I cannot do it well myself.

As for the other question the only answer is Here I am Lord. I now have 4 Grand Children with a promise of more to come.
They can all benefit from a Grand Father that loves them and protects them to speak to them about our great Redeemer -Jesus Christ. To make them laugh and to care when they cry.
My loverly wife needs me as well for love and care. My 4 children still like me to be around to help them repair their computers and other technical related items. Some even like to talk about the faith from time to time.
So I have plenty to do and I know God needs us to pray to ask him to protect and guide.
And when Sin hurts us to know he hates that and that it was never meant to be.

Regards
Don Gardner