Tough Stuff: Joblessness

It's the season for thankfulness. This year we're thankful for something that we never really thought we would experience much less be thankful for - joblessness. Hubs lost his job three weeks ago, and I don't work because I am in school pretty much full time. So we very suddenly found ourselves completely and utterly jobless.

Our first response? Anger, fear, panic, shock..... We were humbled. We filed for unemployment. We cut spending. We hunkered down and prepared for months of financial uncertainty. Our earthly security had been stripped away and we were left with each other and God (and thankfully, a savings account). What an opportunity to experience God as our true source of security and hope! It turned out to be a surprising gift.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. - James 1:2-4

It was a beautiful thing to see my husband grab onto God as his life preserver. There has been more prayer and scripture reading in our house than ever before. This experience has brought us closer together and closer to God over night.

For us, the loss of this job was actually a relief - because it had been a truly miserable one. The new freedom and time Hubs had to focus on God, work through issues, and find God's path for future employment has been so special and priceless. We have had a difficult couple of years in this area of his job. We had been praying and searching for what felt like endless months for where he belonged, and God had seemed silent. The past few weeks we have rejoiced in God's discipline, grace, mercy, and love. We are seeing job opportunities shape up far more quickly than we anticipated. God does not always work on our time line. Oh wait....make that never....He never works on our time line! His timing is perfect.

The following verses of James are just as special:

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. - James 1:5-8

In praying for wisdom, we have found humbleness. While leaning on God wholeheartedly and believing Him to be a God that delivers the impossible, he has acted even beyond our expectations. But, in order for God to really work in our lives, we first had to let go of pride and earthly security - even if it meant He had to physically remove it from us.

Thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging to us during this time! We appreciate you. I hope that this encourages someone else who is going through difficult times. Let go and give God a chance. He can be trusted.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.

For he will be like a tree planted by water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. - Jeremiah 17:7-8