Was Losing Our Jobs a Blessing? - Part 2
So why did God see fit to remove the blessings of good jobs and a lovely home from my husband and I? I think it would probably be ridiculous for me to authoritatively answer this question, as I am not God and can never begin to fathom His reasons for doing or allowing things (although I can say that I do know that He ultimately works everything for good and for His glory). Perhaps in time the reasons will be more clear, but for now I can only speculate a few things that God wanted to reveal to us.
As I have chronicled our experience on my blog, so many people have come forward to say they are praying for us. People that I haven't seen in years are rallying around Matt and I and are lifting us up in prayer and surrounding us with encouragement. Many also offered suggestions and their expertise - whether it be a job opportunity they knew about or sharing how to improve our resumes, people were willing to offer anything they could. Talk about a blessing! To know that so many people care and that so many people are pleading with God on our behalf is overwhelming (but the good kind of overwhelming).
My family has been a huge blessing to us through this whole ordeal. My parents are allowing us to stay with them, eat their food, watch their tv, use their internet, and store all our belongings in half of their garage. They are gracious and understanding, and pray for us daily. My extended family and Matt's family have been praying and have been extremely supportive, as well. I am so thankful for the family that the Lord has blessed us with.
Matt and I are spending more time together than we have in a long, long time. When we got married, my job often required me to work 60 hours a week or more (during the busy seasons, which Fall most definitely was). Some days I went in to work at 7:30 and didn't get home until almost midnight. And Matt worked long hours, as well. We rarely had any days off together. It has been precious to spend so much quality time with my husband. And again, such a blessing!
I have spent precious quality time not only with my husband but with other dear people that I love. People that I never got to see while working in the middle of nowhere.
We are back in cell phone reception all the time now, and it is wonderful to be able to keep in touch with friends and family.
We are within 5 minutes of a grocery store. It is absolutely wonderful to be able to run to the store to pick up something if we need it. And it is wonderful to not have to take the entire day just to run to the grocery store!
We can go to church again! Working with retreats usually meant that I worked Sundays. In an entire year, I probably went to church less than 10 times. Because I was always working. It is wonderful to join a fellowship of believers in praise and worship of our Great God. It is wonderful to be continually spiritually fed and poured into.
We are forced to rely on God for everything at this point. We must trust that He will provide jobs. That He will provide a place to live. That He will take care of us. We must trust that He has a plan and even though we are confused and clueless, He is in control and is not worried in the least.
Those are all incredible blessings. Blessings we would not have received had we stayed at our jobs. Blessings we would not have received if we still had our own home. So while I don't know if it was a blessing to lose our jobs and our home, I know that we have received abundant blessings as a result.
So today is Christmas Eve, and tomorrow is Christmas. Remember your blessings. Even the small ones. Or the ones that often get on your nerves. The ones that you don't often think about (clean water, clean clothes, access to clean and healthy food, health care, etc.). And especially remember the greatest gift and blessing of all - reconciliation with the Almighty God through Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
As I have chronicled our experience on my blog, so many people have come forward to say they are praying for us. People that I haven't seen in years are rallying around Matt and I and are lifting us up in prayer and surrounding us with encouragement. Many also offered suggestions and their expertise - whether it be a job opportunity they knew about or sharing how to improve our resumes, people were willing to offer anything they could. Talk about a blessing! To know that so many people care and that so many people are pleading with God on our behalf is overwhelming (but the good kind of overwhelming).
My family has been a huge blessing to us through this whole ordeal. My parents are allowing us to stay with them, eat their food, watch their tv, use their internet, and store all our belongings in half of their garage. They are gracious and understanding, and pray for us daily. My extended family and Matt's family have been praying and have been extremely supportive, as well. I am so thankful for the family that the Lord has blessed us with.
Matt and I are spending more time together than we have in a long, long time. When we got married, my job often required me to work 60 hours a week or more (during the busy seasons, which Fall most definitely was). Some days I went in to work at 7:30 and didn't get home until almost midnight. And Matt worked long hours, as well. We rarely had any days off together. It has been precious to spend so much quality time with my husband. And again, such a blessing!
I have spent precious quality time not only with my husband but with other dear people that I love. People that I never got to see while working in the middle of nowhere.
We are back in cell phone reception all the time now, and it is wonderful to be able to keep in touch with friends and family.
We are within 5 minutes of a grocery store. It is absolutely wonderful to be able to run to the store to pick up something if we need it. And it is wonderful to not have to take the entire day just to run to the grocery store!
We can go to church again! Working with retreats usually meant that I worked Sundays. In an entire year, I probably went to church less than 10 times. Because I was always working. It is wonderful to join a fellowship of believers in praise and worship of our Great God. It is wonderful to be continually spiritually fed and poured into.
We are forced to rely on God for everything at this point. We must trust that He will provide jobs. That He will provide a place to live. That He will take care of us. We must trust that He has a plan and even though we are confused and clueless, He is in control and is not worried in the least.
Those are all incredible blessings. Blessings we would not have received had we stayed at our jobs. Blessings we would not have received if we still had our own home. So while I don't know if it was a blessing to lose our jobs and our home, I know that we have received abundant blessings as a result.
So today is Christmas Eve, and tomorrow is Christmas. Remember your blessings. Even the small ones. Or the ones that often get on your nerves. The ones that you don't often think about (clean water, clean clothes, access to clean and healthy food, health care, etc.). And especially remember the greatest gift and blessing of all - reconciliation with the Almighty God through Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
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