This is crazy. Utterly and fantastically crazy. I don’t know where to start or what to write. I don’t know if anyone will read this. I only know God has called and I’m trying to listen.
My life has been a journey of what I have come to know as little steps of faith. When I think about my career and how I’ve gotten here, I see glimpses of God’s hand and guidance. I generally tell people “I’m not the brightest crayon in the box” when I talk about some of the biggest steps I’ve taken, but now I know I was listening. I’m not sure I would call it active listening, however. It took me several years to recognize anything, but now I describe it to people as “a God thing.”
I am a laboratorian; a medical technologist; a scientist; logical. I make inferences and come to conclusions based on concrete evidence; things I can see, feel, and measure. Logically, faith in a God who can’t be physically seen, heard, or touched would seem laughable to someone like me. Mercifully and graciously, I have been immersed in the things of God and with people who love Him my entire life. If not for that, I may have never come to the faith I now know to be the most logical thing in the world.
As kids, we all aspire to be “something.” We know that we have to be “something” when we grow up, which generally means choosing an occupation. I was a dreamer! I wanted to be a marine biologist, a veterinarian, and a doctor- just to name a few.
I always thought I’d go to school and learn to be one thing, do it for some time, and then go back and learn to be something else, do it, go back and learn- over and over. I wanted to do everything! I was definitely naïve about how school, work, time, and money rule our lives and that what I was hoping to do would be near impossible without excessive amounts of each of them. Now I know that what I did have was excessive amounts of hope, courage, faith, and perseverance- I just didn’t know it then.
I am a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in psychology. I graduated from Wartburg College, a private school in northeast Iowa. When I was looking at colleges, Wartburg had a 100% acceptance rate into medical school. I chose Wartburg over the University of Iowa because of that one statistic. I didn’t know much, but I knew that it wasn’t easy to get into med school. I knew a 100% acceptance rate meant I would learn a lot and would be better prepared for bigger challenges down the road. Looking back, I can see I was a clueless kid with big dreams and no guidance.
My parents never told me I couldn’t or wouldn’t be a doctor but they didn’t know what it took to become one either. They never discouraged or encouraged me, really. They hadn’t been to college and couldn’t even begin to tell me where to start. The internet was still fairly new then and we didn’t have access to the wealth of knowledge we do now. Somehow, I figured things out. I took the ACT, filled out all the paperwork, applied for some scholarships, and away I went. I didn’t know what the next step would be, how I’d get there, or how I’d pay for it. I just knew I had to start somewhere.
Fast forward two years- I was still at Wartburg; still a pre-med major; still not failing. I loved my psychology classes, liked my biology classes, and HATED chemistry. One morning, while walking to one of those hated chem classes, something happened. It was like I heard a voice telling me, “You’re not going to med school.” I paused- literally stopped in my tracks- and thought, “Ummmmmmm… Okay…” and just kept walking. I eventually went to my advisor and changed my major from pre-med to biology and added the psych minor. Here is where I would tell you I’m not the brightest crayon in the box. I never gave it a second thought; never questioned what I’d do with a biology major or where I would find a job. It never occurred to me that I might have a more difficult time figuring out what to do next. Now I see it was an unrealized step of faith.
Two more years went by and it was almost time to graduate. I stood in the entrance of the brand new, beautifully furnished, state of the art Becker Science Center and it was AMAZING!! As I strolled through the halls, I thought, “What am I going to do when I graduate? I loved my microbiology lab. I wish there was a job out there where I could work in a lab like that.” Did I talk to anyone about it? Nope.
I graduated in May and left without a job prospect on the horizon. I had a lot going on in my life, though, and tried not to think about it. I got married a little over a month later, moved to the big city, rented an apartment, went on a honeymoon, pretended to be an adult, and started applying for jobs. I spent my first days of married life mailing my resume anywhere I could find in the yellow pages that I thought might possibly require a biology degree. Guess who called me? Two labs. I kid you not!! An independent clinical lab called and offered to train me on the job to become a medical technologist. The second call was from one of the local hospitals looking for a phlebotomist. It was a no brainer. Here is where I finally recognized that I was experiencing “a God thing.” Just months earlier, I’d been thinking I’d like to work in a lab and now, I had a job offer from a lab that didn’t even have an opening. I had proof; concrete evidence that God listens and provides.
I worked in that lab for six years. Two years in, I sat for an exam and officially became a certified medical technologist. A few years later, I found a job posting for a technical consultant in one of the local hospitals. It would be a next step in the direction of management for a laboratorian’s career. I thought I was headed that way, but I didn’t consider the position for myself. I didn’t think I was experienced enough. I gave it to one of the more experienced techs in our lab and told her she would be perfect for it. I don’t know if she seriously considered it or not, but the posting was taken down and I assumed it had been filled. Some time later, I saw it posted again. This time, I considered the possibility that I was ready to try something new. I could at least apply. What was the worst that could happen? I applied and got the position.
In my new position, I reviewed records, made recommendations, and prepared labs in physician offices for state CLIA inspections. When the inspectors came out, I pulled documentation, books, and binders full of paperwork for them. They reviewed everything to ensure that patient testing performed in the lab was accurate and reliable and that we had followed the federal regulations. During one of these, the inspector told me that her partner was going to retire and that there would be an opening. There were only two of these positions in the state and there hadn’t been an opening in almost 15 years. She told me I should consider applying. I was flattered but didn’t think I was qualified. She mentioned it every time I saw her; it finally sank in. I knew there would be people with much more experience applying for the same position, but why not apply? I did. I got the job. God had provided once again.
I have been a state of Iowa CLIA inspector for 7 years now. Like any job, there are things I like and dislike. What I love about my
job is the people I get to visit. If I could do the inspection, chat with the people, and help them correct the issues I found without ever having to write an official deficiency report, I’d be in heaven!! I’ve come to realize I was called to this position for many reasons. Above all, it satisfies the driving force of my personality. I find meaning and fulfillment in my job because I get to help people. When someone tells me I’ve been helpful and thanks me, it is so gratifying. Where am I going with this? I’m here and feeling another call. I don’t know what it is exactly or where it’s supposed to lead me, but it’s this. It’s helping through writing. What I do know is that God has been calling and this is my first step. I’m serious when I say I’m not the brightest crayon in the box, but with God behind me, I will become brighter. Someday, we’ll look back and I’ll be able to tell you this was “a God thing.”
