His Promises and Provision

Our family has been on a roller coaster ride of emotions, schedules and redefined expectations. The past two months have taken us up and down and all around and we are finally beginning to settle into the new norm. Through all the twists and turns and dizzying changes, we have been reminded of God's faithfulness and provision. He is a good God and He takes care of His own. I have clung to verses from Psalm 37 that declare,

"Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm." (verses 3-8, NKJV)

The verses that comfort me the most are found in Psalm 37:25-26,

" I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread.
He is ever merciful, and lends;
And his descendants are blessed."

In mid March we began the topsy-turvy journey of seeking full time employment for D. Since his job change a year before, I had felt unsettled and knew that it would last a year or less. The pay was to go from salary to a draw and that made me uneasy. With the struggling economy, new building projects are few and far between. The idea of owing his company money if he didn't sell enough was causing me to feel sick to my stomach. D did his best and sold about 60% of the company's projected goal for him that year. They assured him that his job was secure, that they knew the economy was hurting but they wanted to invest in him because they expected things to recover. Still, I felt nervous. At the start of March, D called me and gave me the news. For that moment, standing in the used book section of the Goodwill, my stomach sank and my heart did somersaults. Beginning April 1, his job would pay commission only. The draw option was lifted (which meant we did not owe the company $10,000+) but now his pay would be based strictly on commissions from what he sold. If he didn't sell a foundation, he would not make a dime. In order to support our family, he needed to sell five or more foundations each month, and nothing was scheduled to move at that time.

As I poured over dusty paperbacks in the thrift store, I found myself saying these words, "God will take care of us. You are capable of doing so many jobs. There has to be something out there for us, something better. We'll get through this together." Our roller coaster ride was about to get bumpy, so we buckled up tight and held on.

The following month was filled with resume submitting, nightly Internet job searches, phone calls, personal contacts, interviews. There were so few options available and even fewer that would pay D what he was worth and what we needed to live on as a single income family. D is gifted in so many areas and could handle pretty much any job in the world. I even joked that he could go back to school to become a brain surgeon if he wanted. Really, he could! He's able to do most mechanical jobs (construction, plumbing, electrical, vehicle maintenance and repair, computer repair, lawn care, bookkeeping, etc.). He has plenty of sales and management experience. He would be an excellent teacher or coach. So many skills, but so few employment options. Several contractors told him that they'd love to have him on board but the resources would not be available for at least six months. One offer was made and it was something that neither of us felt a peace about, but we knew that if that was the only choice, he would do what he must to provide for our family. We laid it down and said, "Lord, this really is our Plan B. We hope You have something better for us, so we will wait on You."

D continued to put in his forty hours each week with his current job. We wanted to make sure he maintained integrity and gave his best each week. He did not want to give his notice until he had something else lined up. No bridges were going to be burned. His manager came into town and asked to meet with D. D was anxious and felt like he was being backed into a corner. If he gave his notice too soon, his position could be terminated weeks before he had something new lined up. We could not afford to have a lapse in insurance coverage either. On the other hand, he felt obligated to give ample notice, as he didn't want to leave his manager in a bind. As he met with C, he was uneasy and didn't know what he would say. C came right out and asked, "So, D, what are your plans?" At that point, he had no choice but to admit he was looking elsewhere. Obviously, without steady income, he could not stay with a job that wasn't able to provide for our family. C was understanding. D told him about the fruitless job search and the one position he had heard of that he was hoping to get an interview for. While they talked, D's phone rang. He told C the number was one he did not recognize and he needed to pick it up. C nodded his approval, so D answered. Much to his delight and surprise, the person on the other end was offering him the interview we had been waiting for. He wrote the detail on a napkin and held it up to C, who gave him a thumbs up. When asked if he could interview later that week, he wrote the time on his napkin and showed it to C who gave him a nod. His current boss was graciously and genuinely excited for D as he searched for a new job that would bless our family. That was one of those moments where D's faith was stretched, and he realized that God cares about all the details of our lives and wants to bring us peace.

D took the interview that Friday morning and in eleven minutes flat, the job offer was on the table. He accepted, stating that he'd be ready to begin April 1. Since he had given his notice with his full time employer, that only left his part time job to notify. The next day, he turned in his notice there and we began to plan for the future. We waited for a phone call with details about training and start up dates. We waited...and waited. D finished out his time at his full time job. He worked his last shift at his part time job. Still, we waited. April 1 came and went. The following Monday, he called his new supervisor and asked when he could start. May 1. He had a verbal agreement of April 1, but some communication was confused and there we stood, with a month of no work for him. We went from elation to sinking defeat in sixty seconds flat. We had some money in savings, so we knew we wouldn't starve, but that money was for a home renovation project that we were so ready for. D found some odd jobs to carry us through for the next week. He worked hard, manual labor every day for a fraction of the pay he deserved, but he did it because the pay was better than nothing. I found him a floor installation job with our neighbor and he worked long, hard hours to knock that out. A week later, the phone rang and his supervisor changed his mind (again) and said he could start training the following week. What a ride!

D has now completed four weeks of intense training (three weeks were out of town), and his first full week on the field flying solo. His new job offers us a base salary that we can almost survive on, with commission potential that can double or triple that pay. He leaves at noon each day, drives an hour away, works the turf for six hours, drives back and is home by the boys' bedtime. The new schedule has it's pros and cons. Pros include family breakfast and devotions, Dad being here to help with chores, school work and playtime with the boys. He is off every other Saturday and every Sunday, with paid holidays and vacations. Other benefits will kick in after ninety days. Cons include him being away during the afternoons and evenings, traveling two hours each day and not having time to schedule activities with friends and family during the week. Of course, the fact that we home school makes this job possible. If our boys went off to public school each morning and dad went to work for 12-8, they would never see him. Since they are home, he can spend time with them each day, doing music lessons and recess, helping out with science and spelling and we can save some of the other subjects for when he goes to work. During the summer months, we will get up early and have outdoor adventures before lunch so he can be included. This may not be an ideal schedule, but we will learn to make it work. We are so grateful to God for providing us with a job in a time when jobs are hard to come by. We know there are many people who are hurting financially and would love to have a job like the one D now has. We are learning a new routine here at home, while D is learning what his job requires on the field. We know that God is faithful, He knows the deepest longings of our hearts and He will provide for the needs we have. We want to have more, so that we can give more. We trust Him to take care of us and this job will provide us with plenty of opportunity to grow in our faith. We cling to His promises and His character, He has proven to be faithful time and time again.