Well...let’s see...A lot has happened since the last time I wrote about how God is blessing me and my family. Last year around this time we were dealing with the fact that my wife had just been furloughed and then offered another job at a significant pay cut. It was an unpleasant turn of events but God promised to provide for all of our needs and He continued to do so. Our bills were paid. We were still blessed and were able to be a blessing to others during Christmas. With God’s peace to sustain us we were able to move forward according to His perfect will.
I also mentioned in last September’s post that there were opportunities presenting themselves (thank you to those who answered my call for prayer). A friend reached out to my wife to tell her about a job opening at another company. We prayed but felt that this just was not God’s will, even though the salary would have been close to what she made before the furlough. Passing up a salary increase is never easy and this one came with the promise that we could go back to a way of life to which we had grown accustomed. But the more we prayed and listened for God’s guidance, the more we felt that this easy path was not the right path.
If you are a believer you’ve likely heard some variation of how God’s “No” means He has something better in store. I can’t explain how but God said this very thing to me, not audibly but in a way that I had no doubt that it was His voice. He was saying no to this job opportunity, with the promise of something better. He even gave me a glimpse of the future by naming a salary, one that would be a significant increase over what my wife used to make. I admit, at the time I was not sure if the number was from God or if it was just me wanting an increase in our household income but by faith I wrote the number in my journal and we moved forward waiting for God’s plan to unfold.
Early this year a recruiter reached out to my wife with another job opportunity. Her name had been suggested by a former coworker (and family friend) who knew that my wife was qualified for the position and over qualified for the job she was working during the furlough. At about the same time, my wife’s old job was phased out, turning the furlough into something permanent. The interview process went smoothly and she was offered the job. We believed this was an open door but there was just one problem. The salary did not match the number I heard in my spirit. It was close but not the same. At this point I had not told my wife the exact number. I had only told her that I thought God had promised an increase.
Well, during the final salary negotiations this new company came back with a different salary proposal. Guess what! This number was what God said it would be, down to the exact cent. Had we jumped at the first opportunity, we would have missed out on what God had already promised. By waiting we got to see Him keep His promises: both His promise to provide during the furlough and His promise of something better at the end of the furlough.
As I wrote a year ago, Christians suffer loss just like everyone else but we are blessed with God’s peace to help us endure. We also live knowing that God has it all under control.
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Last year’s post can be found here: How God Blessed Us in September
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