Illustration by Steve Creitz
Everything changed in one day. I knew that my employer’s budget had been tight, so I expected that I would have to work longer hours or even have a reduction in my pay. But when the boss called me into his office one Friday afternoon, he said, “We’ve had to make some tough decisions because of all the budget cuts we’re facing. We’re going to have to let you go this spring.”
I was stunned. I couldn’t speak. I left his office with the room spinning around me.
By the time I arrived home, I was beginning to feel angry. How could this happen? I had given 14 years of my life to that place. My wife, who is also a teacher and works at the same academy, was shocked and angry. Surely there must have been some way to meet the budget cuts other than letting me go.
My wife and I prayed about the situation, but we were grieving. I believe that God was grieving too. In 2 Samuel 22:7 David wrote, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice.” My wife and I felt God’s comfort. And we needed comfort more than we knew, because we began to move out of our comfort zone.
News Gets Around
Bad news travels fast. I told only a few of my friends what happened, but that Sabbath it seemed that almost everyone in the church knew about my job loss. Some members appeared to stare at me until I saw them, and then they looked away quickly. Others avoided me altogether, as if my bad luck might rub off on them. Some church members would talk to me more loudly than usual and then smile awkwardly. Others talked fast about obscure things, such as their pets or what they ate that week. These reactions were confusing to me because these people were my friends, and we had never had any problem talking before.
And then there were other people in the church who seemed more like Job’s friends. They would say such things as “It’s God’s will” and “Everything happens for a reason.” I knew they meant well, but what they said hurt me. They probably would have said the same well-meaning clichés to Joseph as he was taken to Egypt after his brothers had just sold him into slavery.
Doesn’t our all-powerful God have a thousand ways to work out His will? I knew that worse things have happened to better people and that God was still with them. Still, some church members’ “words of comfort” left a mark on me.
Doing It Right
Fortunately, there were godly people who were truly supportive. One church member knew a friend of a friend who could put in a good word for me for a new job. Another church member offered to look after my children while my wife and I went to a nearby town to look for work. Someone else said that he had been laid off 14 times in 14 years and that he was empathetic. Another person put things into perspective when he told me about a young father he worked with who had just been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.
No, I guess I didn’t have it so bad. I knew that already, but my self-esteem had been eroded. Much of a person’s personal identity is bound up with their job. I felt inadequate because I couldn’t provide for my family. Even though I was told I was a victim of downsizing, I had felt for a while that I wasn’t “good enough” to keep my job. I had felt worthless. Kind words from my students and their parents reassured me that I was appreciated, but the pain of loss was severe.
A Life-changing Moment
One evening when I was feeling particularly discouraged, my 6-year-old son came downstairs to call me up for supper. He must have sensed my mood, because he said, “Daddy, I love you,” and added that he would love me no matter what I did for a living. I was moved to tears. My son would love me even if I had the most humble job he could think of. This was a life-changing moment for me—and the changes have just kept coming.
I’ve found that my tastes have changed. I used to listen to a lot of contemporary Christian music. Now I find that I relate better to old hymns, praise songs, and a few Johnny Cash songs. My tastes in entertainment have changed. I now watch a lot less television (since I canceled cable). I’m enjoying rereading some of my favorite Ellen G. White books, such as Patriarchs and Prophets. I’m also (slowly) learning to play the guitar. My food habits have changed. I used to eat out two or three times a week. Now I’m packing my own lunch. My prayer life is deeper, and Bible study is more joyful.
Gaining Good From Bad
God does work through challenges. He has worked through mine. He has helped me to reprioritize what is really important. He has helped me become less dependent on material things and more dependent on Him. He has drawn me closer to my family and my friends.
I feel sorry for all those who have lost their jobs. The stress that comes with losing a job surely is not God’s plan for any of us. But I know that He will be with us every moment of this trial. He will help us reprioritize. He will give us the courage to go out and look for work. He will show us as never before how He wants to draw us to Himself and prepare us and our families for heaven.
When we compare the worries of today to the eons of eternity, when we compare the price Jesus paid on the cross to our personal trials, when we compare the wonders of heaven to the fleeting moments we spend toiling on earth—the future looks brighter and brighter, no matter how dark things may seem today.
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Gary Bradley, a math and science teacher, lives in North Carolina, where he enjoys spending time in the mountains with his family. This article was published December 15, 2011.
