Yep. I got my wish. I was fired. Er, “laid off.”
I cried all the way home.
And guess what? No severance. And just two weeks more to work.
I’m not surprised.
Well, a bit surprised at the timing. I thought I’d have a bit more time to look for a job. I’ve looked outside of the area (hoping we could move), but not here. And after the toilet flood wrecked our house (see How Bad Can it Get…). I was too preoccupied to look. Though I am thinking I need to find another job right where we are, even if dear husband can’t find a job here. And I’m angry that the idiot 
who fired me feels totally justified and blames me completely, while he has a job and we are not only without income soon, but have a mess of work on the house before us. Oh, and he did this while my husband and kids were away for Spring Break…
My mind’s a whirl. Can you tell?
So I went and played Battleship on the Wii. And won. Yea.
Still…
Life sucks. And then you die.
That’s a paraphrase of John Calvin who essentially said the same thing in his Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life:
… we should at once come to the conclusion that nothing in this world can be sought, or expected, but strife, and that we must raise our eyes to heaven to see a crown.
I’ve heard people talk about all the crowns we’ll get in heaven.
But, frankly, I think there’s only one crown – and that’s to be with Jesus.
That’s the Holiday at Sea.
You know, there have been times this last year where I thought (and wrote here), “I really don’t care if I know God more deeply through all this ick. I just want pain relief.”
Do you think I was mad at God?! LOL
But, now, I really do want that intimacy with Jesus that I both need and am afraid of (see my last post: Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now – the last part).
Even if it requires more pain.
Someone said in response to my sharing this event: “God’s got something better in mind. You’ll get a great job. You’re so talented. Blah Blah.” 
Well, God’s better may be another horrible job or no job at all for some time. With this economy, neither of us working, and with our now meagre savings tied up in horribly depressed stock, we may be in for a very frustrating, scary future
But, thankfully, I have some peace. I really do want Jesus more and maybe this is the only way I will get Him (and maybe a better attitude towards my nemesis…).
Life sucks. And then you die.
The good news is: you die to self, too.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16: 25
By the way, check out John Piper’s sermon on the recession here: What is the Recession For? It gives some perspective about suffering. Good words to have heard right before this morning’s event.
Stay tuned…
Dear Lord: Thanks that I soon will be out of that horribly toxic situation. Thanks for the peace I now feel. Help me to draw close to you. And if possible, can I get a really great job? Amen
I love ya! I’ll be praying for you.
There’s a worse job waiting for you with the State of Tennessee. They’re always hiring Child Protective Service workers/investigators. College degree and a pulse is about all you’ll need to qualify.
I love how you connected Calvin, life sucks then you die, and Matthew 16:25. You have always been amazing at seeing and making scriptural connections. Praying today’s peace continues.
As I scrolled through posts I have missed I was SHOCKED by the kitchen photo. It so much worse visually than verbally. Since permission was granted today for a post-holiday-at-seaside visit to Knoxville (late April? May?) I hope you get that cleaned up quickly.
My pastor just happened to have used that same phrase “life sucks and then you die” today. We were in our discipleship training class , and he was making a point of how some people have that view of life because they have nothing to lay their hope in.
Anywho…. you “sounded” rather calm in your post for things going to poo all at once.
Praying for you and the family “L”, may God reveal and give you eyes to see the silver lining in all of this.
Grace and peace be with you and the family “L”.
Thanks “C” for your comments! I could use a little patience, so this is a good thing. I could also use some supernatural help getting over my anger at this dude who set me up for failure (although he can’t see or acknowledge it) and the fired me for failing. I’ve never in my career worked for anyone like this… I could spit nails!!
I understand the thing about knowing God could give you another horrible job or no job at all, and yet he’s still God and loving and good and all.
I have a hard time with that, too, even though I theoretically believe it.
God is able to do above and beyond what we could ask or even imagine. May he do so in this situation — in a way that you will clearly recognize with all your heart as Good and Loving.
I’m sorry.
Had dinner your hubby on Friday. He sure loves, respects and admires you. You guys will be alright. Still praying for wisdom and the right opportunity for you.
I wish I could say some magic words and it would be all easier to deal with. But unfortunately sometimes life can be rough. Sometimes it’s because God is refining us (not by bread alone…) and other times it’s just because life plain sucks.
The challenge is to remember that God redeems everything. Even when it doesn’t feel like he’s doing much (or doing anything).
I’ll be praying for you and your family.
This may be the 2nd submit, so it it is I apologize
I haven’t been here before as David. My other site is Mission John 22. If you wouldn’t mind could you delete that one and put up Matthew 19:29 http://matthew1929.wordpress.com
I’ll get you added over there. Sorry for 101 blogs but this is the place I post the most.
On to you. Sorry to hear about you losing your job. I don’t have much advise to offer, as if you want it anyways.
Anything I could tell you you already know. Jesus loves you. Jesus didn’t cause you to lose your job. Jesus will take care of you even though the present might be freaking scary and troublesome.
I will (and I mean it!!) be praying for your situation.
Take care and I will be checking back in.
I know you wrote this quite a while ago. I never could think of the right words to say, but I want you to know that I have visited your site often and prayed for you each time I saw this post. I pray that God has given you continued peace and that He has used this opportunity to grow you into a deeper relationship with Him.
Boy do I relate to what you have written here. We have been living in a tiny RV almost 4 years. People assume that Yahweh wants all this wonderful stuff for us…but where does it say that? It doesn’t…not when you take all of scripture into account. Yeshua said that we would have trials and tribulations. Our best gift is that holiday at sea that you and Lewis write about. It is to be with Him forever in heaven.
And that is such an incredible gift! There really isn’t anything here that can hold up to it. The best this life has to offer pales in comparison to that. Still…I would really appreciate having a little more in this life…especially when it comes to living space. LOL
I read your more current post about job hunting. Hope you find something soon…and your hubby, too, if he has not already.
Abigail: You are spot on. God never promised us a rose garden in this world. And, no, we have no jobs yet, but by some grace have not gone into savings (those wildly reduced things due to the decimated stock market).
Just wait when hyper inflation hits. You better be praying a whole lot more.