Not a Minute Too Late

“What do you think your aspirations are, Amanda? From the other side of the dining room table, my mom glanced at me over her computer. “I want to help in every way I can, but you need to tell me where you are headed.” Praying for direction concerning my schedule and academics, I was nearing the end of high school. Planning my next step felt like attempting to design a travel route using a map written in an unknown language. Is college a proper fit? What subjects would I study? Should I look for employment? To occupy the upcoming summer, I had accepted a summer internship offer from a wildlife rehab center. Because this opportunity required twenty hours a week, the calendar demanded revision. Volunteering only two hours every seven days, I was strongly contemplating eliminating the time I spent at a local library. Little did I know that while I was planning to leave the library altogether, I was soon to be interviewed for library employment!

[3] Diligently volunteering at a local library for almost four years, I never expected the opportunity to become a staff member. [4] Assisting every Tuesday morning, I would spend two hours at the institutional, capacious edifice seen from my backyard. [2] For preschool story time programs, I would cut colorful construction paper into various shapes, which were used during craft periods. As the teacher's aide, I helped engage the children in the literature and cleaned the room after activities. Another responsibility was to systematize and shelve carts of books and other library media. [5] While visiting the library one Friday, the director informed me of job openings in circulation and offered me an employment application. [6] Three clerks had abruptly resigned. Unshelved materia...

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...ing a library clerk has shown me the gratification of working hard.

Never inclined to become a librarian, I began volunteering at the beginning of high school simply to gain a taste of the corporate world. God in His providence orchestrated the interview and clerk employment. Because of this opportunity, I have realized the enjoyment I experience while working there. It is a pleasure to synergize with the staff team, some of whom I have known since childhood from my own library visits. Although I am unsure whether to pursue higher education in library science, this field has manifested itself as a possible career path. For now, I continue to seek the Lord's guidance and wisdom. He is faithful to consistently provide what is needed according to His timing. Specifically in the library circumstance, an answer to prayer came not a minute too soon nor a minute too late.