Life of Freelance

Most of my friends tease me because they say, “When Rhoshan isn’t working, she’s traveling!” I guess that is my motto. I’ve learned to not sit around and live in fear thinking, “But what if someone calls me for work while I am away? What if I miss out on the next big project?” What kind of way is that to live your life? I believe God gives me rest and time for myself to enjoy and appreciate the greater things in life.

During the summer most of the Entertainment Industry goes on hiatus. This is a common practice in our business. This year I have had an extended summer vacation. I’ve learned through experience to prepare myself for these times, when business is slow. However, this year many have been affected by the recession due to the economic state of our country, or the world for that matter. Many of my friends and colleagues don’t understand why and how I prefer to work as an independent contractor, rather then having a full-time staff position with a company that provides all the benefits. I had that once. I was working for one of the major Networks and after four years I left to enter the world of freelance…. and to this day I have no regrets. It was the best thing I ever did in my professional life and personal life. Stepping into the world of freelance truly opened my eyes to the more significant things of life, like spending more time with my family and friends, reading that 600 page novel that’s been collecting dust on the shelf, going to Africa to build a home for abandoned children, or simply just sitting at a café sipping my latte while journaling. It truly changed my perspective and my priorities. Some people live to work, but I work to live. Maya Angelou put it like this, "Making a living is not the same thing as making a life." There are very few who can actually say they love their job and are doing what they always dreamed of doing professionally. But, like anything, it too becomes a routine and loses its appeal, or it seems once we’ve accomplished one thing, it no longer satisfies and we set our sights for the next thing that we think will satisfy our desires. I believe until our desires are in alignment with God’s will for our life, we will never be satisfied. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

The greatest thing for me that has come out of living the life of an independent contractor is that it has taught me to live by faith. I am pretty much forced to live by faith on a daily basis. I am completely trusting God where my finances are concerned, even more so in this time of uncertainty. Matthew 6:25 do not worry about your life what you will wear or about your body what you will eat…. The scripture continues to say that worrying doesn’t add another hour or day to your life. I know that God is my provider, not the world. God has given me talents and yes, it is up to me to develop them and do my part, but then He does the rest. Deuteronomy 8:17&18 You may say my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me, but remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…
It seems just when there is an opportunity for me to go back to being on staff, something unforeseen happens and the position has been dissolved. I believe it is not by coincidence. It’s just not meant for me to go back to that life. God wants me totally and completely dependant on Him. I think it’s easy to get into our comfort zone and become complacent in our jobs and life in general. I’m not saying this is for everyone. Obviously, if you have a family and kids to support, then most definitely, it’s crucial to have security in that area of your life. I am a single woman, living in Los Angeles, working in the Entertainment Industry and have only myself to take care of. My life is a testimony that the Lord has provided for me above and beyond. When we are faithful to Him, He is faithful to us. Time and time again, God has made provision. At times it seems like the eleventh hour, but God’s timing is always right on time. His ways are not our ways, His thinking is so not our small way of thinking.

For example, as soon as I took the steps of faith to start writing this blog, the Lord brought a dear friend back into my life who is now my roommate for the time being. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I can now exhale knowing I don’t have to worry about paying those never ending bills. My friend had a need, I had a need and now we are meeting each other’s needs. I love how God orchestrates it all so beautifully! He blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.

One Sunday afternoon, I had lunch with a couple of my girlfriends after church. We were discussing the amazing message we had just heard in church. My friend posed a question to me and asked, “If I don’t get a job in my line of work would I be willing to just take any job? “ Assuming she meant a job as a receptionist, production assistant, retail sales, waitress, etc. I replied, “Absolutely not. That is not even an option.” I think she was a bit taken back by my response, and asked if I was too proud? I replied that it has nothing to do with pride. God has already dealt with me in that area. Trust me I have had my years of taking jobs beneath my skills and doing whatever was needed to make ends meet. It was a very humbling time, but that was for that season of my life. If I had said yes to my friend, what would that say about my faith in God? If I accept that, then I am saying God is not bigger than my circumstance. I am putting God in a little box and that would not say much about how I see Him and how He values me. I so love in the book of Job when God sets Job straight of his arrogance by questioning him, “where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand…Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades, loose the cords of the Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons….Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water? Wow, it just takes my breath away every time I read this passage. How can we ever question God who is the creator of all things!

The message that my friends and I had heard that Sunday was about this very thing. Do we really know who God is? Ephesians 3:20-23 We serve a God who is more then able to do above and beyond our greatest imagination! Amazing how our minds think so small and we forget who He is.

So in conclusion, I continue to live by faith, expecting God for extraordinary things for my life. I am not looking back but looking ahead at the prize that is set before me!