Saturday, March 7, 2020

Back From Break

Hey friends! After a couple of months off I'm back from my hiatus. Thank you so much for letting me take a vacation, it was much needed and very much appreciated. Now I'm coming back, refreshed and rejuvenated.

The last four months I have been unemployed. The company I was working for, sadly, had to close their doors and so the employees were laid off. Having four months with not much to do other then submit applications and go to job interviews is not as fun as it sounds. It's emotionally exhausting and surprisingly time consuming.

During this time I did a lot of praying about what God was trying to teach me. I learned to trust and God used this time off to really open my eyes to a lot of things and push me out of my comfort zone. I also spent a lot of time doing different things. I learned how to knit on a round loom and made hats for my nieces and nephews for Christmas. I finished a book I'd been working on for a couple of years. And I learned a lot about what I'm good at and what I want to do with my life. It's been quite the experience.

The really big thing that God has opened my eyes to during this time has been how much people care. I started attending a new church just a couple of months before I got laid off which meant that I was just starting to get involved in right after I got laid off. That was a hard thing for me, meeting all these new people and when the inevitable question "What do you do?" came up, having to admit that I'm between jobs.

I was truly worried about what people would think, whether or not they would judge me or what well-meaning people might say. I got a lot of "have you thought about doing this?" or "well what do you want to do?" which could be hard at times but overwhelmingly people were incredibly supportive and loving. People who barely know me have checked in weekly, or at least every time they see me, asking me how I'm doing, letting me know they've been praying for me and cheering me on along the way.

This, friends, this is what it means to be encouraged by the body of Christ. And it wasn't just the people at my new church, it was the people at my old church. My family, my friends, friends of my friends and even passing acquaintances. It has been an incredibly humbling experience to see people coming around me, lifting me up in prayer and showering me with love and encouragement. 

I realize how hypocritical my attitude has been. I've always tried to be a support and encouraging to others because I knew that's what God calls us to do. I've prayed for people and checked in with them when they've been unemployed or going through a hard time. So why would I expect the worst from others when it's me struggling?

Pride. That's my downfall. This time of unemployment has been incredibly humbling and although it's painful to be stretched it's always a blessing in the end. I'm grateful for this time and what God has taught me. And I'm really grateful that I'm now entering a different season in my life as I head back to work.

Thanks friends, for giving me support and giving me time to work through this difficult season.

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