Josh’s Job Loss
[Note: This was originally posted on my fighterverse.com site, but I have since given it up. It attempt to archive a few of the things I wrote, I am reposting it here on the original date that I wrote it.]
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1b-3a ESV)
My husband lost his job today.
Here’s the story: My son, Caleb, and I went to the Children’s museum for a fun day of exploration. We did something in every exhibit and finally ended up playing in a pool of bubbles. My cell phone rang and it was Josh, “Hi, honey. Um… can you sit down?” I was leaning over Caleb, holding the back of his shirt to keep him from jumping in the water.
“Okay, I’m sitting.” I lied.
“[My Company] just laid off a bunch of people today. And, I’m one of them.”
I didn’t panic or cry or get angry. I just mumbled something like, “Okay. Well, okay. We’ll just have to trust God and see where this takes us.” Josh asked me if I could leave the museum to get him immediately. About a quarter of the employees at his company were laid off that day and it wasn’t exactly the best place to remain at the moment.
When I had finally navigated the skyways to get to my car, I saw that my iPod was plugged in and continuously playing my memory song for this week’s fighter verse. I left it playing as I drove from St. Paul to Minneapolis to pick up my husband. My thoughts interspersed with the verses that sang out from the car stereo:
Fear not, for I have redeemed you…
What can this world do to me when I have the most important gift, redemption in Christ?
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… they shall not overwhelm you…
My God is the same God who allowed the Israelites to pass through waters unharmed, even as their enemy pressed in behind them. Will not this same God protect my family?
When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
My God is the same God who allowed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to pass through the fiery furnace unharmed after they refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. Will not this same God protect my family?
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Yes, you are the Lord. You are my God. You are Holy. And you are my Savior. I have nothing to fear.
What a joy to have my fear replaced with praise and glory to God. Meditate on His Word day and night and see if your spirit too begins to rejoice in the face of trials.
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