My Times are in Your Hands

Looking out our back door last January

Today is December 1st. We woke-up to find a candy coating of snow on everything outside and, even now, it is snowing. It's pretty to watch snow as it slowly falls from the sky and changes the landscape. I knew it would arrive sometime...snow. I'll admit that I'm glad it has held off until now. With Christmas just around the corner, snow seems more appropriate some how. It didn't snow here in November. That's not normal for our neck of the woods. But then again, things haven't been normal around here for quite some time.

Mr. Wonderful has been without a paycheck for quite some time. He found himself receiving an unemployment check this past June for the very first time in his life. Like so many other small business owners, the family business that has employed most of his family and many others for the past twenty-five years has come to an end. It has been heartbreaking to watch the slow death of this once vibrant and growing company. I would liken it to the death of a close family member as you helplessly watch them suffer and slowly die. It's been horrible. And it's been extremely difficult knowing there's absolutely nothing anyone can do to stop it. So, a set of parents, their five sons and their families, along with almost a hundred other employees and their families have all had to say goodbye. Even as I write this, I still cannot believe it.

It has been so hard watching my husband spend 8 to 10 hours a day, just looking for work. In today's world, everything is done on-line. Resumes are submitted on-line. Extensive applications are entered on-line. Hour and a half long tests, countless times, are taken on-line. Interviews are given on-line. Psychological tests are given on-line. And my favorite, writing poetry in order to even enter into the on-line application process. I kid you not. Once when he tried to contact a company by phone, he was told that if they allowed applicants to call in to ask questions, they would have to hire two full-time people just to answer the phones. Brutal is an understatement. The reasons for what seemed like endless rejections were even harder to comprehend.

And so yesterday morning our family gathered around the kitchen table to pray. And once again, in thankfulness, we called upon the Lord to hear our prayers and answer them according to His will. He alone knows our future. Surely the Lord sees what we cannot. We have continually prayed we would "consider it all joy" and learn the many lessons He has for us. We prayed we would be found faithful and not falter through these difficult times. I am ashamed to admit that I have stumbled many times.

Yesterday we found ourselves, like so many others, receiving our last unemployment check. Twenty-six weeks goes by quickly when you're not working. It's not much, but it was enough for us to help keep our nose above water. When you read the statistics that most families are two paychecks away from homelessness, we recognized God's provisions for our family. While we have exhausted much of our resources over the past 18 months, we are thankful we had resources to draw from.

Have you ever heard that saying, God is NEVER late but seldom early? Last night Mr. Wonderful received an e-mail which contained the first of its kind. A job offer...a job offer that exceeded any expectations. And they wanted to know if he could start on Monday.

How do you respond to that? Is "thank you" really enough? We gathered again as a family and through many tears thanked God for His mercy. We prayed our memories would not be found on the short side, like the Israelites' when they left Egypt, but that we would remember this time, for all time.

I found myself early this morning pondering what had transpired over the past 24 hours. I want so much to remember that moment in time when we discovered God's hand in our lives. It felt like the last possible moment to us. I know it didn't seem that way to Him. He knows all things and sees all things. His timing is perfect.

From Babbie Mason's Trust His Heart...

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When don't see his plan
When you can't trace his hand
Trust His Heart

In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. ...I trust in you, LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands. Psalm 31:1-2, 14-15

With a thankful heart and overwhelming joy,