When He Gives Us A New Dream | Alice

My name is Alice. I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany with big dreams for the future. Already in my childhood I was taught that nice things are expensive, and that I would have to work hard to be able to afford them.

After graduating high school, I started studying restaurant management and put my career before everything – with success! I graduated and immediately got a job in a luxury hotel in Switzerland. Switzerland has crazy wages compared to other European countries due to the higher living cost, but living in Germany and working in Switzerland is almost like winning the lottery once a month. From here I worked my way up the career ladder incredibly fast.

I worked in hotels and on cruise ships all over the world, gained experience, got promoted, and moved on to the next opportunity, until I eventually ended up back in Switzerland (can’t beat the lottery win!).

This time it was different. I didn’t have to apply for jobs; jobs applied to me! Before I knew it, I was the corporate restaurant manager / consultant of an international luxury hotel chain. This was what I was called to do! I wasn’t necessarily happy, but I was making five figures monthly! I didn’t have to check price tags anymore. All these nice, expensive things were finally affordable. My life became the dream I so longed to live.

Then came Joe. Joe was not like the other guys. I knew almost immediately that I was going to marry him. The only problem: he lived about 5000 miles away from me; on another continent; with the Atlantic Ocean in between. Here I was at the peak of my career at 24. My boss had just offered me to take over one of his hotels, and the love of my life wants me to leave it all behind and start over. Talk about bad timing.

I chose love. I quit my job, packed my bags (a lot of bags with a lot of nice, expensive stuff), and moved to the other side of the world. Being new to the country, I wasn’t able to work for what felt like an eternity, and so I was ecstatic when I finally received my work permit. I was ready to go, or was I?

It took me less than a week to pick up where I had stopped, but for some reason, it didn’t feel right. This was not what I came here for. I was here for love, but what I was doing now, was reinventing “career junkie Alice” aka “no time for love”.

I had to make a cut…start over. I needed more free time, less responsibility, and a lot more Jesus in my life. I took an office job that paid five times less than I was used to making, but in return gave me the time I needed.

Why move to the other side of the world to become an admin assistant? This was obviously not God’s vision for me, but it gave me enough time to find out what it was.

Living life my way was tiring. I worked so hard for all my achievements, yet never felt accomplished. There were many nights, when I felt lonely, and sorry for myself. I had a great career and lots of money, but no friends.

Things only started falling into place when I started living God’s will. Today, it feels like things just fall into my lap. I am still an admin assistant. From life on the fast lane to boring nine to five job except, it isn’t boring at all! It gives me enough time to tell others about the wonderful grace of God on my blog “Alice’s Blessed Life”.

Alice was born and raised in Berlin, Germany and currently lives together with her husband in Sugar Land, TX. She works as an admin assistant for a small oil and gas company and occupies her free time crafting, reading, and traveling. After surrendering her broken marriage to God, Alice became a passionate follower of Jesus Christ, and made it her mission to help restore, strengthen, and bring hope into relationships as a certified marriage mentor. She teaches her message of hope on her blog ‘Alice’s Blessed Life’.

Photos courtesy of Alice