These words that were uttered in 2010 have shaped my life. ”We are letting you go. We can no longer afford to pay your position.”
Just like that, I was out of a job. My wife was pregnant, we owned a home in a plummeting real estate market, and there were few job opportunities in our area. I was devastated.
My last day was in October and the only reasonable choice was to move back home. Let me tell you what kills your pride: moving in to your parents’ basement with a pregnant wife.
As the weeks stretched into months, one job interview after another led nowhere. In time we lost our house in California, and we lost our pride. But we gained a few things that were far more valuable.
We gained time together. The time we shared before our baby was born were some of the most refreshing of our marriage. We had been married for six years, and to be honest, they had not all been easy.
We also learned how to parent together. Because I was not working, I could be more involved in the early days of my daughter’s life.
We also gained gratitude. I will forever be indebted to my dad and stepmom. They offered their home to me when I was too proud to ask. They bought groceries and paid for the extra utilities that we used. I learned the lost art of saying “thank you,” knowing I could never repay them for their generosity.
Finally, in July of 2011, I found a new position in Indiana. Looking back, that season often felt like the worst transition of my life. But in reality God gave me things I never knew I needed. When I lost my job, it felt like we had lost everything but what I gained could never be replaced.
What experiences have you gone through that can be reshaped by revisionist history? What struggle do you find yourself currently in, that can be seen through a different lens? This has been a tough year for everyone, and as we continue walking on this earth we will face more challenges. Sometimes being a man in action means we have the ability to see a situation for more than it seems. Let us continue to walk in that truth, that there is always something we can gain for any situation.
Sean Wilson
Community Pastor, Northview Christian Church
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