Do You Have a Safety Net?

Have you ever jumped off a mountain? Probably not. At least not literally. I’ve done some things that felt like jumping off a mountain. When I sent my first manuscript to a publisher, I felt like I had jumped and was falling. Would it be published or rejected? But then I remembered that God is in control.

When we remember this one fact, we won’t have to worry. David was a man after God’s heart(Acts 13:22). When David followed God, he was successful. When he didn’t, he fell. And sometimes he fell, big. But God was always there to catch him (2 Sam 11).

I recently made another leap. I left my job after 17 years. I could have quit sooner when confronted with difficulties, but that was not God’s timing or plan. Instead of quitting, I spent time in study and prayer. And I began writing.

Now, I could have been scared. I was without a paycheck for the first time in twenty years. But I remembered Matthew 10:29-31 and knew that God would provide for me just as He provides for the sparrows. God shows me every day that He is there. As I read through my job search emails, I'm blessed with messages from different schools posting new information. I see former students who tell me they love me. I have prayer warriors sending me messages that they are praying for me. And I know, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end, and they are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

And then, right after my last paycheck arrived, I got a call for a part-time job to tide me over until the end of the year. Is it what I wanted? Not exactly. Is it what I needed? Yes. Will it cover everything? No, probably not. But God has provided.  My husband is faithful, and like the servant in the parable of the talents (Matt 25:15-30), he doesn’t bury the talents God has given him but, he uses them wisely and faithfully. When we have needs, he can provide.

The school year ended, and so did the part-time job. And still, without a permanent job, I was again looking at a cliff with no net and no paycheck. But once again, God provided. I found a summer job. Not just any job, but a job at the zoo. Yes, I was hot, but I loved it. No, it didn’t pay much, but I had fun, and God provided. At the end of the summer, I got my part-time job back.

Am I still looking for a full-time job? Yes. And God will open a door. I have to keep knocking until I get to the one he is preparing for me. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)