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When I left my job after twelve years in October 2011, I had in mind to be very much involved in the music ministry for Christ. We were about the release an album when everything collapsed. See the post Rap with Christ.
Then the Lord spoke to me in a Dream in February 2012 so I was trying get ourselves prepared for pastoral ministry. I heard about a Bible school in Switzerland. Some friends in our church were about to apply for it.
It’s a very good school because they would welcome families and not only individuals. I thought it was a good idea but my wife would not think the same. I tried to convince her for weeks but she would not move. I was thinking I can’t force her to go to bible college!! It won’t work either.
“Closed doors lead you to opened ones”
All my plans were failing. My music plan failed then an eventual move to bible college was killed in the egg. My wife had this idea stuck in her mind: “We need to have bilingual children.”
I was thinking that would not help to answer to the Lord’s call in my life and I was struggling with the idea of moving to the UK. In my mind I was going to lose time in the UK because at some point we would have to come back to France so I can be trained to fulfill my calling.
“I surrendered”
I remember one day during this period, I was parking the car in my garage. As I was doing so, I was talking to myself and to the Lord as the same time. I said: “Lord, I can’t force her to go to bible college and I don’t want to go to the UK and we are stuck. ”
That was what I was feeling at that time. We were going nowhere and someone had to surrender. On that day I did not surrender to my wife but I surrendered to the Lord.
I said: “Lord, I will go to the UK because I know that you will be with us in the UK and you will make all things work together for our good because I love you and we have been called according to your purpose”.
That day on that garage, after making that decision, I was set free. I had a joy in me which came straight away and I was so excited that we were going to the UK.
“The plan”
I rushed to tell my wife the good news. She was delighted to hear this!! We started to make plans, budgets, etc.. Within one or two days we agreed the following plan:
We needed to find a £2500 net salary job per month so all our needs (rent, utility bills, child minder, car, leisure, etc..) would be met. At the time we were looking for something in London in IT.
I had worked for twelve years as an IT Support but also as a Team Leader and my English was not too bad as I went to London for 9 months to study English in 2007.
We were thinking about moving the same year but we would wait if no door was opening. We would have to wait anyway!!! 🙂
We agreed the plan and prayed together, leaving it in the Lord’s hands, knowing that he is faithful.
“False start”
I started to bombard all the recruitment companies with my CV. I was spending so much time on Internet searching for what was waiting for me. Eventually after one month, a recruitment company told me that one of their client were interested by my profile.
They were based in Milton Keynes and the salary was £2500 gross per month. The client wanted to have and interview over the phone with me the following day and I agreed. That was looking so good!
Later, as I was talking to my wife about this and we realised that it was not what we had asked the Lord. We had asked to open a door for a £2500 net salary job but in my excitement, I told the recruitment company that I was ok with £2500 gross job.
I could not sleep that night. It was as if my conscience was telling me: “You are not trusting the Lord”.
Once I woke the following day two hours or so before my interview, I called the recruitment company to tell them that I did not want to go further and to cancel the interview with the client as I was looking for £2500 net.
Later, I had deep regrets as I thought I should have done the interview and see what would be the outcome. I called the recruitment company but they told me that their client had moved forward and did not want to reschedule an interview.
“Whatever, whenever, wherever”
This experience humbled us, I mean humbled me particularly. I felt I had failed again. Failed to make the right decision at the right time. Failed to hear properly from the Lord.
It was not a comfortable experience but this situation lead me to tell the Lord: “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. Not what I want but what you want. Whatever, Whenever, Wherever”.
I was not too sure if we were going to move to the UK or if we would have to stay in France but I was happy with both. That’s the best way to not be disappointed!! I was still searching for a job in the UK but my mind was opened on the possibility of not finding one.
However we agreed with my wife before the Lord that we will take the next opportunity we have to move in the UK, regardless the salary and the location in the UK.
The Lord might have liked this attitude as two months and half after this, I had a job offer in Belfast in a call center. I had never been in Northern Ireland before. The salary was around £900 per month but I knew that the Lord would help us. I flew on the 8 July 2012 and started to work the following day.
Today I know that
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
John 3 v 8
Keep this in mind
As a child of God, your life does not belong to you anymore. It belongs to the Father unless you take it back. The Spirit of God is like a wind and takes us wherever he wants for his purpose. We need to be flexible and let the Lord direct our steps. He will never force us to go his way but if he we choose to do so we will be deeply blessed!
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