In Security

Yesterday I took the boys to the park and met an economics professor who teaches at Johns Hopkins. I mentioned something lame about "job security" and he said that he just found out an interesting fact. 80% of the people losing their jobs due to the economy are men. The reason for this, he stated, was the fields that are dominated by women, health care and education, are not experiencing the same cuts.

Of course, this doesn't make my female friend feel better about losing her job this week. It was poorly handled, a letter was mailed to her a week before her boss was to speak to her about the "announcement." It's frustrating to her, and of course, she is hurt (who wouldn't be?), but she is trying to stay positive.

What are the positives about losing one's job?
1. We find our dependence is forced to fall on God and not on ourselves, or on a company.
2. We experience moments that we must look upward in order to gain answers.
3. We gain compassion for others in a similar situation.
4. We learn the practical side of forgiveness.
5. We realize that amidst the instability of finances there can be peace in Christ.
6. We find that there can be joy even in hardships.
7. We treasure the fellowship and prayers of our Christian brothers and sisters.

Notice something about the list above (and I'm sure there are more positives), it is all contingent on a relationship with God, through the blood of Jesus. Without this, I don't know how one could experience peace, joy, and hope in financial trials.

Please know, that I speak from experience. My husband and I were asked to leave our last job because of financial difficulties. It was a trial to say the least; I was 8 months pregnant, had 2 other children under the age of 5, and we are in a very specialized field of work that does depend on God's graces from beginning to end (although, shouldn't everyone?). It was up to God to do something for us. Having no leads for a job, a few weeks after baby was born we moved to another state to live with my in-laws.

After a job interview in David's line of work, we were driving around town and saw a Now Hiring sign in the window of a men's clothing store David was a manager at when we first married. How sobering to realize that God may provide for us by making opportunity for work that was not our ideal (he is a worship pastor). Praise God that it was not part of the plan to teach us more patient endurance through the retail job and more time with the in-laws (whom I love, but knew we were wearing on them some).

If you are in a place of uncertainty, what will it do to you? Will you look up, reaching for God's hand? or will you strive to make things happen on your own? Maybe it's not a financial crisis you are in, but something else just as uncertain. Be assured God has a plan for you and it's for good and not evil (Jer. 29:11), if you are His child.