Primary Callings

Over at The High Calling last week, Bob Robinson offered some simple, foundational thoughts on finding your calling. This one stuck out to me:

The primary calling does not change, but it manifests itself in different ways in different times and places in which God places us.
God knew you’d be employed where you are now employed. He knows that this is not your ultimate destination to fulfill your calling. He also knows that there are things he is calling you to do in order to glorify Him at this particular time and place, and he also knows how this experience is preparing you for what he has in store for you in the future. It seems ironic now that I look back, but all the jobs I’ve had throughout my life, all those occupations that I thought at the time were meaningless, have actually provided valuable experiences that prepared me to fulfill my calling later in life.

It reminded me of the piece I posted from Tim Keller last week. And it reminded me of a conversation I had with a student just last week where I realized how my experience and education as a software programmer oddly equipped me for my work as an English teacher today. God works in mysterious ways.

Have you ever had this experience? What have you learned from jobs that you didn’t realize would help you in the future?