Through unexpected jobs, God is providing and directing me on a good path

Written by Rebecca McKague

“I just don’t know what I want to do!,” I groaned with frustration, as I slammed my laptop shut. I was looking for work, but I didn’t want just any job. A few days prior, I had very suddenly become unemployed. 

I had been working in a cucumber greenhouse, where I monitored pests and released beneficial insects to control them, reducing the need for pesticides. After graduating from Environmental Studies, I was grateful to find work in my field. But now I had lost my job, in a way that seemed so random and heartbreaking. 

Although I didn’t know it then, God was using this situation to allow me to pursue new and old desires.

Stepping into adventures

Long story short, I ended up flying to Mexico a few weeks later to learn through an organization called Youth with a Mission. This was a significant time. 

I began to recognize and trust God’s voice. 

I discovered that I love Spanish. 

And I asked God how I could do work that not only cared for the environment, but also helped people know him, the Creator of the environment. 

Poem about knowing the Creator: God through tropical telescopes

Of course, eventually I had to return home and enter another job-seeking phase. I job hunted for a while, found one, watched it get cancelled, and finally, after a couple of interviews, I had a job! 

Stepping into the ordinary

The job wasn’t what people thought a university grad should do: it was only a two-month position of sorting clothes—smelly socks and underwear included—all day, every day for a thrift store. However, the job was with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a charity that I admired. 

While there, I sought to have impactful relationships with younger coworkers. After all, I’m on a mission to share the value of knowing Christ, wherever he places me.

Soon, this job led to a new and better position with MCC. I remember driving to work thrilled by God’s unexpected provision. 

As I continued to work for MCC, I heard about their Serving and Learning Together program. This was an answer to my prayer to practically connect my interests in caring for creation while also making the Creator known.

I was also excited that this opportunity would take me back to Latin America. 

I applied to the program and have been accepted for a one-year volunteer placement in Mexico. I am anticipating a challenging and career-shaping experience.

The future still has a lot of unknowns and more inevitable job searches, which can be discouraging and scary. However, seeing how God has previously led me step by step—sometimes slowly and strangely—helps quiet my doubts and trust that he is guiding me on a good path.

Rebecca graduated in 2018 from Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo.