This is a continuation of Part 1 of the Manna and Starbucks in the Wilderness post. You can read Part 1 by clicking here.
My own wilderness journey involved me no longer serving in a staff role at the church I where had been for 8 years, and no longer in some kind of full-time Student Ministry role that I had been in since I graduated from college and began my adult life; for some 17+ years. Very abruptly, I found myself in a very new, very different, very scary wilderness. How was I going to make it? Where would the provision come from for myself and my family? In what direction was I supposed to go? How long is this new chapter going to last?
After a brief period of working construction and having a daily goal of not completely destroying the project I was helping with or causing major injury to myself or the guys on our crew, I began my trek towards The Promised Land. The Promised Land seemed like an easy-to-reach place. I was assured by many that my experiences, skills, and personality would be in high demand by lots of ministries, companies, and organizations “out there.” I just needed to polish up my resume, use job search resources and my personal connections, and put myself out there. That next chapter God had for me was right around the corner.
The replies to my resume and applications, however, were slow and discouraging and seeing unemployment as a not great way to make sure my wife and 3 kids had food, clothes, and a roof over their head, I took an interview with a Starbucks store manager I was introduced to by a friend who also works at Starbucks. After a pretty positive interview, the manager offered me the job, and not having another paying option on the table, I accepted.
My first few weeks as a Starbucks partner were pretty eye-opening for me. What I thought it was like to work at Starbucks and what it was actually like was as different as night and day. I quickly realized a few things. First, I was much older and much slower to learn a new skill than many of my co-workers. Learning the Starbucks trade wasn’t natural to me and my previous ministry experiences gave me little to draw on in my new role. Second, learning everything the company expected me to learn to function in a busy store was really, really hard. There were days after my first few shifts that I cried on my way home, certain there was no way I was going to be able to do this new job. I just didn’t have what it took. Third, this isn’t what I wanted. The assurances from many people that my next fulfilling career was right around the corner felt like a cruel lie to me. Not only was this new job not my “dream job”, it felt about as far away from what I wanted to do as I thought I could get. In my season of wandering in the wilderness, this is what God gave me as provision? There were many, many times I looked around at this new reality and said, “This isn’t what I want. What is this???”
There were many, many times I looked around at this new reality and said, “This isn’t what I want. What is this???”
Somewhere during this new reality, I read about God’s provision of Manna to Israel in Exodus 16 and my heart was convicted. God’s provision of Manna, while not what Israel expected or wanted, was a gracious gift to them. It sustained them each day and helped to remind them that God was in control and He would be the one to take care of them in the wilderness. I realized at that moment that in my own time in the wilderness that this job working at Starbucks, while not what I wanted at all, was a gracious gift of provision from God. He was taking care of me and my family and it deepened my trust in God. He would daily take care of us during this wilderness journey.
I realized at that moment that in my own time in the wilderness that this job working at Starbucks, while not what I wanted at all, was a gracious gift of provision from God. He was taking care of me and my family and it deepened my trust in God. He would daily take care of us during this wilderness journey.
As the months went on, things got a little easier at Starbucks. I was finally able to master many of the skills I never thought I’d be able to learn that first week. In fact, a year into my time at Starbucks, I represented my store in the District Barista Championships. Had you told me I would have had that opportunity in those first days with Starbucks, I never would’ve believed you. Never.
The big thing I needed to remember in all of this was, while I still wouldn’t consider the job my dream job, and there were many days I came home exhausted, frustrated, and ready to quit, this was a gracious gift of Manna to sustain me through that day.
Do you feel like you’re in the midst of a wilderness journey of your own? Do you look around at your current circumstances and think, “I don’t want this. What is this???” Might I suggest that in your circumstances God is graciously providing you Manna to sustain you? Your Manna and my Manna almost certainly don’t look the same, and that’s ok. God knows each of our specific needs and is a Good Father who gives good gifts to his children. My friend, I don’t know your specific story and I don’t know how God is going to work to get you through the wilderness, but I can attest to the fact that He will daily provide you Manna for the journey. Will you take a moment to recognize and thank God for His gracious provision during your wilderness wandering?
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