Let go and let God

Deciding what to do with our lives can be a challenge. There are so many options and so many things to consider. Is money my main focus? Do I want to do something I enjoy even if it doesn’t pay well? Where do I want to live? Am I willing to move somewhere I’ve never been because a job I want is available? 

Here is the story of a friend of mine who wasn’t sure what he wanted to do — but working in a factory was not one of the options. He swore he would never do that. His dad had operated heavy equipment, and he thought operating a bulldozer would be fun, so he found a job doing just that. It was great — until the farm economy got rough and he lost his job due to lack of work. 

A factory was hiring. By this time, he had a wife and a daughter to take care of, so he applied and got the job in order to provide for his family. He didn’t like the work, but he stuck it out. The factory encouraged employees to attend college, so he started taking classes. He thought accounting would be a good career. After a few accounting courses, he realized it wasn’t something he would enjoy — but his desire to work somewhere other than the factory kept him going. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in communication. He was 35 years old when he started college and became friends with three other non-traditional students. Two of them went on to pursue master’s degrees in counseling. They encouraged him to speak with the dean of the counseling department, and he became convinced that counseling might be the right path. 

Because he could only take six credit hours per semester, he was in college for 15 years. His wife was essentially a single mom during that time, and he owes her more than he can ever repay for the sacrifices she made so he could leave the factory and become a counselor. 

He began working at a treatment center for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. It was all new to him, and he had a lot to learn. Eventually, he felt confident enough to go into private practice, where he continues to work today. 

Looking back on his journey, he can clearly see how God had his hand in leading him into the mental health field. God gave him the factory job — with the opportunity to go to college. The factory paid for his education, except for the books. Financially, it was affordable; personally, it required sacrifice — especially from his wife. 

His plan was to become an accountant, but God said, “No, that’s not what you’re meant to do.” God placed people in his life to guide him where he wanted him to go. 

When he applied at the factory, he had no idea where that decision would lead. He could have stood firm on his earlier declaration: “I will never work in a factory.” But instead, he let God take him there — even though he didn’t understand the bigger picture at the time. 

Counseling has allowed him to help people work through the demons of depression, anxiety, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, work, food and countless other addictions that can make life difficult. 

Letting go and letting God lead our lives is a simple concept — but it isn’t always easy. We think we’re in charge. One of his greatest blessings is knowing that God gave us free will to choose — even when we don’t always choose wisely. 

One of the first things he helps people learn is gratitude. As bad as things may seem, there are always more good things in life than bad. Some people struggle with depression, anxiety, and low self-worth. Many deal with those issues along with addiction. Mental health challenges and addiction are treatable — but they take time, effort and perseverance.  

Operating a bulldozer taught him patience and perseverance. When you’re pushing over trees, you can’t rush — branches fall everywhere. Life is the same way. Patience matters because everything worthwhile takes work and time to achieve, and we need the perseverance to keep moving forward. 

Goals are important because we need to know where we’re going in order to get there. Having purpose and meaning — a reason to get out of bed each morning — is essential to living a happy life. It’s heartbreaking how many people believe they don’t matter and struggle with little or no self-esteem. 

We must believe that we are good people. Bad decisions do not make us bad people. If they did, the world would be full of bad people — because we all make mistakes. 

Prayer is also important when dealing with mental health and addictions. God’s time and our time are two different things. We want results immediately and God says slow down. He always gives us what we need even though it might not be what we want. 

Everything in life is a choice — except dying. When hardships come (and they always do), we can focus on what’s wrong, or we can focus on what we have and choose gratitude. 

My friend has been counseling for over 20 years. He has gradually reduced his number of clients and the days he works. When he started at the factory, he had a wife and one daughter. Now, after more than 50 years of marriage, he has two daughters, one son, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, six grandsons and two granddaughters. God has truly blessed him. 

Becoming a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) was a long journey. It took a boatload of patience and perseverance, but he did arrive where he was headed. As they say, it takes a village to accomplish a goal, and his wife and family played a huge role in helping him become who he is today. He didn’t set out to help people — but he is grateful that God led him there, even if it took 15 years. If he gets stuck, a silent prayer helps him know what to do. God is always there to help, and he does. 

I’ve had the privilege of watching my friend grow from bulldozer operator to counselor. He’s almost 70 years old and grateful every day he gets to help people grow, reach their goals, and help them acknowledge what they are grateful for. 

I’ve been blessed to go on this journey with him — because I am my friend. 

Life is good. I like to say all days are good — some are just “gooder.” I learned that in college. 

It’s healthy to look back and see how we arrived where we are. My perfect job? A bulldozer with a double seat so I could help people work through their problems while playing in the dirt. 

Life is good — and it will be even better when God says, “Come home.” 

It’s amazing where we end up, especially if we Let Go and Let God!

View the latest issue of the West Nebraska Catholic magazine here: https://catholicmagazines.org/magazine-archive/west-nebraska-catholic/gi0426