7-7-7

The Place I Find Myself (For The Third Time)

What a unique time God has given me right now. I’ve been laid off for the 3rd time in my life. The first time happened in April 2009, the second was March 2016, and this time was March 2023. The pattern here is every 7 years. This to me is clearly a designed season of rest for me, given by God himself who frequently uses the number 7 throughout scripture. The first time I was laid off, he ended up giving me a job as a contract employee for Microsoft. I didn’t apply for the job, a recruiter found my resume on Monster dot com. The second time I was laid off I ended up getting a job at Amazon and I also didn’t apply for that job. A mutual friend told the hiring manager I was looking for a job and she called me out of the blue.

The Lord Is In Charge

In case it isn’t clear yet, God has created a time and place for me to have rest every 7 years and then he blows me away with the job that he gives me – it’s way better than I deserve or could have dreamed up on my own. I have no doubt that what the Lord has done in the past for me, he will continue to do for me. That’s because, despite my utterly indefensible sin, he loves me. Praise be to the God who is merciful and gracious to his people.

My Focus Right Now

My task at the moment is to use this gift of time to rest well and do what the Lord instructs. I am seeking this now. My task is also not to lose sight of the fact that He is in control and is trustworthy. Although I know this and have the past two experiences to prove it, something inside of me wants to solve this problem on my own. I want to go find my next job and take it on myself. I want to be my savior. My task is to continually turn to Him as my savior. He is the Lord, I must trust Him in this, and not the ways of man or myself.

So what do I actually do?

Be at peace. You have nothing to worry about. God has this. You don’t need to.
Show mercy. You have been given such mercy. Give what you have been given.
Be safe. So many people are hurting. Be a safe place for hurt people to make mistakes and it be ok. Be a safe place for hurting people to use their gifts and see how valuable they are.
Forgive. God has forgiven you so much and you could never pay it back. Freely forgive anyone who wrongs you.
Be generous. Nothing belongs to you. You own nothing. It isn’t yours. Give.
Enjoy what you have. Use it well. Enjoy your home, your family, the space and time the Lord has given you.
Praise and worship His name. Find new ways to worship him. Give him the praise he deserves. It is a joyful thing to do.
Adore and love your family. Find ways to show your family every day that you love them and are so glad to be with them. You have nowhere else to be. They are the most important people in your life – make sure they know it and by your actions help them believe it.
Make healthy choices. Good health provides you the opportunity to more fully enjoy the free gifts God has given you.
Create good habits and disciplines. You become your habits, and your kids become you. Don’t forget that.
Trust in the Lord. He has continually proven his trustworthiness. Don’t forget it now. The joy you experience in this time will be directly proportional to your willingness to have faith and trust him.
Be in awe of creation. God has put you in this time and place for a reason. Get outside. Be in awe of all he has created – it is truly beautiful and reflects His beauty.