The Blessings of a Break

When I stumbled upon B L A N K, I had just taken a leap of faith in my work, and the words I read here were such an encouragement. It seems that it was God's way of letting me know that I had made the right decision, and that things were going to be okay. But now, here I sit, six weeks later without a regular job and with less freelance work than before. Was this God's plan? Without a doubt.

Let me preface this by saying that I still live at home, with my wonderfully supportive family. Every day they encourage me to be myself, to follow my heart, and to listen to God's voice. My family makes this time easier, especially financially. I know that my situation is different from most, but I believe that the gifts God is giving me are the same gifts that He gives others.

I know this is God's plan because He is allowing me a time of rest. After years of lots of school, work, and family crisis, time for rest is something I probably need. It's also something I wouldn't have given myself.

Another blessing is presence. When I decided that graphic design was the field for me, one reason was that it could allow for the flexibility of working from home. That flexibility is great, but if you've ever worked from home, you also know it's downsides. The biggest thing is, it's always there. So although I was physically present at home, mentally I was elsewhere. Right now I'm better able to be truly present, to be a support for my family, and to be engaged in life.

Service to God is next on my list. When you're working all of the time, it's harder to devote time to ministry. My pastor's daughter recently spoke with me about helping infuse the church service with visual elements relevant to people our age. I love serving and this was something that excited me, but I had reached that point where I just couldn't take on any more. It made me sad to think that this might not fit into my busy life. This break from steady work gives me the chance to serve God, and use the gifts He's given me.

Finally, God has given me an opportunity. The list of things that I've wanted to work on for myself is long. But just like rest, they're things that get pushed aside in the midst of "emergencies." The first thing I'll be working on is getting my portfolio online. But I'll also use this opportunity to learn new techniques, take some more classes, and give my creativity a workout. All of these things are important, and I'm excited to move forward.

Yes, I'm still young. And yes, I know that there are bills to be paid. Taking a leap of faith isn't always easy. Sometimes God guides you where to leap. And sometimes He more or less drops you where He wants you without letting you see where you'll land. But no matter your situation, there are blessings to be had if you only look for them.