Crossing My Red Sea

Have you ever had to cross a RED SEA in your life? If you have and your experience was anything like mine you may have felt some of the following symptoms: the sweats, nausea, fear, anxiousness, need I go on…  I crossed My Red Sea about three years ago when a job opportunity presented itself to me without me looking for it.  Uncharted territory and out of our comfort zone is a place that we are often hesitant to run to, or at least I was that way.

Let’s take a look back in time for a moment.  Exodus 14: 15,16  NIV

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

My heart truly pounds when I close my eyes and think about Moses, the Egyptians were closing in on them closer and closer second by second. I can’t imagine looking back to a group of already complaining people and with the Red Sea standing behind me and an army closing in to capture us. Talk about the sweats I think I would have had to find the nearest prota potty. But isn’t God’s choice of words interesting, paraphrased “Quit praying and get a move on.”  and I can imagine myself saying uh ok God but do you see this great big Red Sea in front of me? Sometimes in our lives just like Moses, God requires moving faith. All He instructed Moses to do was raise his staff and He would take care of the rest. How simple God makes it for us sometimes as easy as raising a stick in the air. God loves opportunities like this, opportunities to show us that He can use the smallest of things, like a staff or stick, to show us how GREAT and FAITHFUL HE is. Just do it already, raise the staff. So Moses did and an amazing thing happened, the waters parted and the ground was dry. I love that part, He thinks of everything, parting the waters and drying up the ground. I can’t imagine the jaw dropping look on the face of Moses and the Israelites but let’s pause a moment. If you were standing there looking at this great divided sea and a dry path to walk on would you just shout and run for it or would you have to look in amazement for a while. I m sorry to say I’d be standing there with a gaping mouth.

So the first test of faith was holding up the staff the second was actually crossing it. Let’s park here for a moment and be honest with each other. How many of you would be like me and hold you hand over your forehead to gaze upon this amazement and ponder with a pounding heart hmmm I don’t see anything holding up the water on each side what if we get half way through and it decides to collapse and destroys us. What if, what if, what if? Do you ever see a great opening and miss the chance to walk on dry ground and cross over to a new opportunity that He has for you? Well standing with my toes at the edge of the sea is where I found myself a little over 3 years ago.  I had a good job with a great boss who allowed for flexibility when needed. It’s not often that you have a great supervisor who is understanding and supportive. And although, I loved my job, financially it just wasn’t taking care of my family’s needs. Of course, I had consulted God about all of this and was just looking with anticipation when on my way to work one morning on of my boys became sick. I new that it was a long shot to get him on such short notice as a new patient but I called anyway and wouldn’t you know they said be here by 10. I called my boss and explained and while almost half way to work (which was an hour each way) I turned my car around and headed back home. I called my husband and these were my exact words, “I am giving up on looking for a new job what more could I ask for I have such an understanding supervisor, we’ll make it I am just gonna stay where I am.” I some how think it was that very moment when I gave up that God moved in. That’s exactly what He does He waits till we expire so He can show us His amazing glory.

I arrived at the doctors office and as I sat there waiting with my son, a long time friend of my husband walked in, (which we hand not seen in 20 years) and we began to talk and catch up we exchanged phone numbers so that he and my husband could reconnect.  Then a week later he calls and asks me if I would be interested in a pharmaceutical job.  “Well, uh yeah,” I said, “ but I have no experience,” and he said.

“ I already explained that to this manager. He asked me to email him my resume,” so I did. A few weeks later I begin this long and I mean long and exhausting interview process. It was by far the most difficult and interview process that I have been through. This went on for at least 2 months maybe longer and as time drew near I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes and actually glad I didn’t. Every step that I took closer to getting this job DOUBT appeared. “You don’t know anything about pharmacokinetics, biology, anatomy heck you cant even pronounce the biological name of these drugs that you will be talking about” it whispered. Doubt, if watered will quickly grow and eventually down your faith. I kept asking God, as things progressed, Is is this from You?” He loves moving us out of our comfort zone into an area where we lack confidence and knowledge so that we may depend on Him and He may then grow our faith. (This is never a pleasant process.)

One Sunday morning in Sunday school I found this in my lesson book and my heart pounded when I read it and still does when I read it today.  “Coincidences” are carefully ordered by the hand of God. All point toward God’s final, forceful answer to the prayers of HIS people.” I tore this out of my Sunday school book and have kept it close at hand. Sometimes when we doubt He is always gracious to provide us with a little assurance along the way. 

So, I got the phone call and I was offered the job. Once again doubt began to rain on me but this time the sunshine dried it up and encouraged me. As I stood in my driveway talking to Heather and expressing my doubt and fear about moving forward to something I knew nothing about, she said these words to me. “I bet Moses felt the same way before the crossed the Red Sea.” A smile spread across my face and courage filled my heart and yep you guessed it I accepted the job. Here is what I later found out that I was up against 15 other candidates with each of them having 9 plus years experience and the hiring manager said this. “Everytime there was a hiccup everything always fell in your favor.” So I just had to “Move on already” and with every step doubt faded until it disappeared.  God has used this job to provide and meet the needs of my family and has given me the opportunity to be a LIGHT for HIM, to pray for so many and to encourage those who are down hearted and sometimes just simply give someone a smile.

I don’t know where you are standing today, maybe your are gazing out at the parted waters of your Red Sea, and what can I tell you. Just Go Already. Let Him amaze you.