The joy of trials
Trusting God through uncertain circumstances can be a trial, but it grows you in the best ways if you ask for His strength to continue placing your trust in Him.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - James 1:2-4
When Kyle lost his job, he came in the door and the news was on his face before I even asked. I held him, his head against my chest and my hands in his hair as we both cried. It was unfair and we felt blindsided, but we chose in that moment to let it go and not become bitter. This had nothing to do with Kyle and it wasn’t his fault. We were just the lesser people toward the bottom that got the brunt of one person’s decision. The company has been having huge corporate shifts and we realized later that his job loss was just a result of that; nothing to do with his performance. But we’d moved to Chattanooga for this job. We had picked up our lives, left our families, and with confidence followed where God led us- here.
Yet here we were, and not sure why because the reason just got pulled out from beneath our feet.
We still felt that God led us to live here- and maybe this was the time He was revealing to us it wasn’t for a job, and He just used that to draw us out of Indiana and to Tennessee. He called us to this city, and we have always felt sure of that, and now we just wanted to know what He did want us to do here.
So yes, Kyle lost his job- a four year career that we thought would be in our future years ahead, suddenly taken away without a second chance.
We were married less than a year and he spent two months unemployed- and believe me, we never expected that to happen.
But guess what happened as a result? We spent a lot of time talking it out. We clung even closer to each other and God. We sought Him daily, even if the answers we had were not any clearer. We kept trusting, kept putting our faith in Him. As time began running out and we needed income to move from our current apartment into a new residence, we felt the pressure. But we took turns encouraging each other to not doubt and reminding each other to trust God, that He won’t fail us, and that we can trust Him no matter how things look.
Job loss doesn’t feel like God’s will, right? But if He allowed it, perhaps He wanted to lead us to something else. Whatever it was, He had our whole hearts and lives just waiting and completely submitted to saying yes, even if we didn’t know what that was.
We both realized things through this time. Kyle realized he didn’t really know his identity apart from his job; it’s been one of the one constants since his new life several years ago, right before he met me. This time challenged him to see his value through God’s eyes and know his identity as a son of God more than ever. And for me, it helped me realize how easy it is to get consumed in my own life and only being concerned with that- and how much I needed a kingdom-minded shift. I’d drifted from that and started focusing more on what I wanted and getting there myself rather than truly laying my life down before God and asking what He wanted, and seeking to serve and glorify Him. So we both had eye-opening heart things to process with God we didn’t realize until our life got stripped.
God is so good. He only wants good for us, and His ways are so much higher than our ways. He will use trials to test us. But He will be loving, compassionate, and present through it. He’s always with us and will not abandon us. No situation are we alone or unheard. He’s there. He’s not going to fail you in the end. You can trust His heart.
Lastly, God provided! In the NICK of time, like literally, we move in an apartment and then the next day Kyle begins his new job, which he just accepted today. I’m so grateful that is in the maintenance field (his gifting for sure!), and local, because he’s going to do so well, and I can see that he’s happy. God knew all along. We just had to put our hope and faith in Him and wait. But He didn’t fail. He came through. And along with all this, spiritually I’m feeling more myself, and closer to Jesus- and we’re both excited to see where God takes us and how He’ll grow us in the months to come.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” - 1 Peter 1:6-7
There is joy and you can rejoice and have peace, even in trying circumstances, because when you come out at the end, if you let it test your faith to grow and become only more confident in God as your Rock, it will result in you praising Him and giving Him glory. And that is exactly what I needed to do today, because I realize that everything in our lives -in my life- is a gift of His grace and goodness, and no matter what I have, the greatest joy and treasure is HIM. Nothing can take that away. All else can fade or disappear but He will be there, and that is the best joy, knowing that.