by Skyler Gemmer
Hi all!
My name is Skyler Gemmer and I’m writing from Boston. I am an intern at TMC Youth. This summer I will be working in the Mary Baker Eddy Library in the Archives Research Department. I’ll be doing whatever projects need to be done.
My home base is in Richmond, Virginia. I’ll be a senior at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA in the fall. I want to tell you how I ended up in Boston through a completely unexpected turn of events.
I was at home during spring break and it was a yucky, cold, rainy day. I was on my computer checking my mail for the 100th time that day when an email from tmcyouth.com appeared in my inbox with a list of possible internship positions for the summer. Mind you, I had already read this email once and had deleted it, thinking that there was no possible way I could, or even wanted to, spend my whole summer in a strange city. Yet, something compelled me to look at the email again. Much to my surprise, there were two new positions added to the list, and one was archival work in the MBE Library.
I’ve worked in a library for about seven years, and have been thinking of attending grad school for library science, so this struck me as something to look into closer. To make a long and somewhat boring story shorter, I will say that as I looked at the information for the job—which sounded too good to be true—I heard “a still small voice” speaking to me. What it said was “Apply now! This is an opportunity of lifetime and you sure do qualify.” The deadline was fast approaching and I felt that they would have already received lots of applications, but I listened to that voice. I sent off my cover letter and resume that instant. I was not going to ignore a thought I knew came from God.
I returned to school, but as the school year was winding down, I began to panic since I hadn’t heard a word from anyone about the job. I was trying to decide if I needed to start applying for jobs at home. Yet something told me to stay calm and I would get it; everything was in God’s hands and I did not need to do anything other than what I had already done. Within the last two weeks of school I had a phone interview and by reading my blog here you know the outcome of the story.
The best part is that I was here for my first ever Annual Meeting—an experience I hope to have again and again. I can’t wait to fill you in more about the great adventure God led me to.
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I like your story, but how did you know that you could trust that feeling that the job was yours? How do we know when something’s God-directed and we’re not just waiting something out?
Your story was great!
I thought that it was amazing how you ended up getting what you wanted, it was so cool! I hope that that sort of thing might happen to me soon because I may try out for a commercial or movie. You really inspired me to go for my dreams and trust God in whatever I do. Thanks a ton for your fabulous article!
-Lucy
I am so glad I was able to inspire you! I most certainly believe in following dreams. Whenever I go for something big I take a moment and turn to God for guidence. It is so important to actually listen. Many times I find myself praying, but then never taking the time to listen for the answer or guidence that God is always sending us. So go for it, for God will lead you in the right direction!
I liked reading about how you made it to Boston. Isn’t it great when we feel God’s hand in our lives?
Thanks!
Dear Michael,
Do you know when you get a feeling in your gut sometimes telling you to do something or that what you are doing is right or wrong? Well, to me that is just a material sense of a reaction to something and can be good or bad. However, I know when something is God-directed when it is not a feeling, but comes to me as a clear idea. It really feels like a light bulb has turned on, everything is so clear. Also, I felt this complete sense of calm wash over me every time I began to panic about not getting the internship. This, I felt, came from knowing God was in control. One of my favorite Journal articles that I am always working with for every need is Adam Dickey’s “God’s Law of Adjustment.” I would like to leave you with this one quote that you or anyone can work with for God’s guidence and that really helped me in knowing that I would be in the right place this summer. “When we reach the point where we can in confidence and in trust leave everything to the settlement of God’s law of adjustment, it will immediately relieve us of all sense of personal responsibility, remove anxiety and fear, and bring peace, confort, and the assurance of God’s protecting care.”
Hope this answers your question. Thanks for writing.
Thanks Skyler. You make sense to me.
Thank you so much for sharing.
This is inpirational. I hope you will enjoy God’s presence and abundant blessings while in Boston.