“Hey, could you transfer me to Shannon?”
“Is Lily available to talk with me for a minute?”
“I think I have an appointment with Wendy. Could you check?”
The questions and requests were constant in the human resources office at the hospital where I worked this past summer. During my summer internship, I can’t even remember the number of calls, meetings, and appointments that my coworkers had with others. Everyone who called or came into the office always seemed to need someone—except me.
I quickly realized a trend in my office. Employees often asked to speak with the other people in my office, but they never asked to speak with me. And sometimes I just wanted someone to want me.
Pipe Dreams of an Intern
I thought that I’d have the opportunity to do important things during my internship this summer. I assumed that I’d learn about the interesting aspects of human resources. I thought that I’d gain valuable experience and on-the-job training for a future career in human resources.
Instead, I felt like I was in the way. I felt embarrassed by the number of questions that I asked and ashamed when I made mistakes. I felt underutilized when I spent my hours sitting in a desk chair and drawing on sticky notes to pass the time. I felt ignored when all my coworkers rushed off to a meeting and left me alone in the office.
Even though my coworkers were nice to me, I still felt so small.
If You Feel Small Like Me
If you can relate to my internship “woes,” I know how small you must feel sometimes. And I understand how much it hurts.
- Do you feel small when your boss overlooks or even criticizes your hard work?
- Do you feel small when your teacher mocks your assignment in front of the class?
- Do you feel small when your husband fails to remember your anniversary or another important date?
- Do you feel small when your friend makes a snide comment about you to someone else?
- Do you feel small when your brother or sister fails to congratulate you on something that you’ve recently accomplished?
Even imagining these scenarios makes me feel small, but they require a counter argument. We simply can’t trust our feelings to tell us who we are. Feeling small doesn’t mean that you are small. It doesn’t mean you’re worthless or insignificant.
God’s Plan Is Still at Work
Joseph’s life illustrates this point well. He was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, and unfairly put into prison. But then he became a ruler in Egypt.
So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:4-5 ESV)
God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, and Joseph used that gift. God allowed him to use that gift to get out of prison and save the land from famine. Though he probably felt small earlier in his life, he was never truly small. His value was the same as a young shepherd, a prisoner, and a leader. God orchestrated his life from beginning to end and used Joseph to do amazing things.
And you’ll do amazing things, too. Sure, you might feel small now. Maybe you feel insignificant compared to your coworkers and friends. Perhaps you feel like your talents are being ignored. But you can’t see the whole picture.
So whether you’re a bored intern or a neglected wife or a discouraged friend, remember that you are not small. God’s perfectly orchestrated plan for your life is much bigger than any of those feelings.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 