Learning the Ropes of a New Role

Well, along with the Christmas festivities starting recently, I have also started a new job.
After spending months sitting in the spiritual waiting room of limbo land, wondering if my permanent job description was “professional coke drinker and baby-sock folder,” God opened a brand-new door. I am officially back in the workforce… albeit part-time!

I’d love to tell you that I stepped into this new role with the sleek, flawless confidence of a high-flying CEO. I’d love to tell you I walked through the door on day one, immediately understood the systems, and effortlessly commanded the room.

But you know me, I try to keep it real here… I actually spent the first week mostly trying to figure out which key opened the staff bathroom and praying I wouldn’t accidentally delete a master database. Finishing the day in tears on my way home as the overwhelm overtook me!

I can tell you it was total tech whiplash!
Starting a new job after a life transition is a distinct kind of humility test. You go from being the expert in your old environment – the one who knew how everything worked and where everything lived – to the rookie who has to ask how to turn on the lights! Yes, I have to admit I sat in darkness for the first 15 minutes of my workday this week because I literally didn’t know where the light switches were. And even after hunting for them, I still couldn’t find them!

And then, there’s the technology.
My new role involves navigating a world of digital tools, databases, and, wait for it – Artificial Intelligence! Yes, yours truly is officially working alongside the robots.

I’ve spent the last few days trying to learn how to prompt an AI system, which feels a bit like trying to have a conversation with an incredibly literal, overly enthusiastic friend who lives inside your computer screen. In my head, I’m smoothly delegating digital tasks like a tech mogul. In reality, I’m staring at the dashboard, typing questions in all caps, and whispering, “Please don’t crash, I promise I’m a good person,” to my hard drive.

Between trying to remember forty different new passwords, figuring out the office culture, and deciphering AI lingo, my brain feels like it has about fifty open tabs running at the exact same time. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s completely out of my comfort zone. Breathe Kathy, just breathe.

But even when I feel a little lost and completely overwhelmed by the learning curve, I can’t help but smile. Because just a few months ago, I was sitting in my chair at home crying out for direction, feeling the heavy ache of what I’ve left behind, and wondering what on earth God had for me next.

This new season is the answer to those quiet prayers. It turns out that God wasn’t ignoring me in the waiting room; He was just preparing the ground.

In the Bible, Proverbs 3:5-6 gives us the ultimate rookie employee handbook:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Notice it says we shouldn’t lean on our own understanding. That is a massive relief, because right now, my own understanding of our new software is hovering at about a two out of ten. I don’t have to have the whole system mastered by Friday to be safe or successful. I just have to trust the One who guided me through the door in the first place.

So, if you are starting something brand new today, whether it’s a job, a hobby, or an unchosen transition that has you feeling completely out of your depth, take a deep breath and laugh at the awkwardness. It is completely okay to be learning the ropes. Your worth isn’t tied to how fast you master the system; it’s grounded in the Father who walks into the office right beside you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go ask the computer robot how to format a spreadsheet before I accidentally launch a rocket.

And if you just happen to be wondering what my new job is: Stick around and I’ll let you know…