I lost my job in May 2015. I was working at an event facility for a church as an assistant to the manager. Working on the job was pretty difficult at first because I was new to hospitality and facility management. I was just branching out from Law, so I had to learn on the job. I had a difficult boss. I felt I was being under appreciated and at the same time, cheated. I started to cut corners with a colleague of mine who suggested a way we could make extra cash. I didn’t think this was wrong at that time. Amazing how the mind justifies things. This went on for about 6 months till we were found out. My colleague denied being involved and I took the blame which led to my being laid off.
This period was a really difficult one for me because the news spread fast at my place of work and at church. It was a shameful and messy experience. I had soiled God’s name. My sister also received a lot of criticism because of me since we worked at the same place and this just increased the guilt I felt. I stopped going to church, I stayed away from people and my family became so worried. At night my sister would check if I was still breathing because they felt I was suicidal. People I thought would stand by my side left me. I got to my breaking point and went back to God in total surrender and I genuinely repented. God did forgive me and this is how I knew – within one month of leaving that job I got 3 job offers and it was now a dilemma of which one to pick.
Right now I am working in a larger capacity than I was in the former event centre as a manager. I never imagined God could be that kind to me and I have a boss who I genuinely love. Before she employed me I told her how I lost my job and I was completely honest, but she was not bothered with what I had done, but more interested in who I have become. The shame I went through when I lost my job was God taking me through a process of redemption. It was like He wiped off the slate and started a new chapter in my life. God did not just forgive me, He restored me and blessed me beyond my comprehension. I learnt some hard truths and lessons. No matter the mistakes you have made, there’s a God who is capable of forgiving and restoring when you come to Him.