Recently on Twitter, the hashtag “5 Jobs” was trending, which means people were sharing different jobs they’ve had. Some of these were made up and silly and some real.
I decided to join in and share some of mine. While I’ve been a creative entrepreneur for 15 years or so now, I had a wide variety of jobs before. I started out doing different things and just trying to find my way. My early days were jobs I took because it seemed to be what people wanted for me.
5 Jobs I’ve had:
– Operating room cleaner
– Marketing assistant
– Hospital kitchen worker
– Freelance writer
– Artist— Cherie Burbach (@CherieBurbach) April 24, 2019
This is from my cleaner job at the hospital.
Lots of stories I could write about that job. Maybe I will one day! I really loved it. After the cleaner job I got transferred to the kitchen, which I loved even more. My plan was to continue working there forever. It was an intersting job to me and I enjoyed working with my hands. I could envision myself staying there, earning a small but decent enough living during the day and writing and painting at night.
In my younger days I sought approval from others and really didn’t know myself. I took jobs where I dressed up in heals and suits and worked in corporate environments that were not the right place for me, but it took me a long time to figure all that out.
Eventually, health issues threw me into a freelance career, which is probably where I belonged all along. Isn’t it funny how God will help nudge you along and if you don’t listen, He’ll make sure you hear. Having health issues really caused me to examine my life and where I wanted to be. We could not afford for me not to work, but I needed to find something where I could balance my life a little better. I gravitated toward the creative field again because it was what I loved but also because really, I’m not really good at anything else. I’m best when I’m being creative in some way.
And so… here I am.
Forty years after that original picture, I’m back to working with my hands in an unconventional job I love. I can see God’s hand in my creative life, from that very first gig to the one I have now. I can see Him at work most strongly when I allowed myself to follow the choices He had clearly laid out for me instead of other influences. It reminds me that if you can quiet your mind enough to hear God speak, you will always get the answers you need.
