Growing up, I was always what you might call really
buoyant. I was definitely not afraid of the water—I
was a fish. And I floated really
well. My friends all went through the
typical stages of swimming—toes in the water, blowing bubbles and floaties.
I liked the idea of floaties but I never really needed them. Any opportunity I had to swim at the pool or
the ocean, I took it. I was not afraid
of the water—or the possible dangers of jumping into the deep end. I was fearless. I can’t recall a childhood summer memory
(good or bad!) that doesn’t involve the pool or have the smell of the ocean attached to it.
About 6 months ago I lost my job. Anyone who’s read my previous blog post on
here knows that I knew unemployment was coming.
I thought—oh how I thought!—I was prepared for it. I had nearly a year of God’s faithfulness to
get ready. But when the call from my
boss came, it was almost like a physical blow to the stomach. I was prepared as much as I thought I could
be. And I was completely unaware of the
journey I was about to take. I am
generally an optimist but for once I was adrift and I seemed to have forgotten
how to swim.
I think God does that on purpose—if we actually knew what we
were going to encounter beforehand, we wouldn’t take a single step. I honestly thought I’d have a job after 6
weeks of unemployment and be good to go.
But I didn’t and I wasn’t. But my
hope did not fail. I knew—I just knew—by
the end of the month, I would have a job.
Each month came and went and still no job. What was worse is that after the first few
weeks there weren’t even nibbles. If I
thought I was adrift and lost beforehand, it was nothing compared to this. All of a sudden, I was bewildered, and
paddling just to keep my head above water—both emotionally and financially.
However God has been throwing me floaties of hope all along
the way. Like a 3 year old afraid of
jumping into the pool I strap the floatie onto my arm and keep plodding
along. I can’t pay my mortgage? No problem.
God provides through the kindness of strangers. I need a renter for my house? No problem.
A young couple are looking for a house and home to start their lives
together and mine is perfect for them. I
need a place to live? No problem. My family takes me and my naughty dog in, no
questions asked, no expectations given.
Hundreds of resumes, cover letters, and applications later I
am still saying, “By the end of the month…”
But there are days when I really don’t believe it anymore. Just when I get to the point of giving up,
another floatie appears. I strap it on
and keep plodding.
To quote my sister “Sometimes even the optimist needs
someone to hope for them.” And that is
when another floatie appears.
True story.
