“Yep, I was right.”
I looked up from my post in the kitchen, as my husband came through the back door from our backyard office. The look on his face said it all before his words even did.
“I’ve been let go.”
These words were not new to us as he had previously been let go during the 2008 housing crisis, and mortgage companies were looking for any way they could to shore up margins. But this felt different for many reasons and in many ways it was very different. Instead of having a toddler and being pregnant with our second child, we now had 3 teens, one of which was wrapping up her junior year of high school.
Of course, our minds raced with various scenarios, but ultimately, we had to rest in God’s sovereignty. There are no “what ifs” in his equation. He knew this was going to happen and he was fully able to uphold us as we walked through this trial.
The advent theme of Peace comes at a time when headlines and deadlines are more intense than ever. We feel squeezed, overwhelmed, and burdened with the heaviness this world carries. We wonder to ourselves, “Will we ever get a break?” or even “How long Oh Lord?” It’s kind of a “bad news, good news” type of situation. The bad news is that on this side of Heaven, we will always feel the edge of the curse—in our relationships, in our finances, and in our endeavors. The good news is that peace doesn’t mean the absence of pain, but rather the presence of God. That is what the Christmas season is all about--Jesus coming down to earth as Emmanuel, literally, “God with us.”
We have access to peace through the Holy Spirit. Not just the intangible kind of peace that resides in our hearts, but we can be at peace with our spouse, with our children, with other family members, and with our neighbors and friends. We can experience a harmony in our homes that only comes from a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). It’s not necessarily the result of our circumstances, but rather in spite of our circumstances.
All our hopes and fears can be met head on by the love, strength, and greatness of our God. We can find ourselves in the middle of a raging storm or a in a quiet meadow, and the one thing that remains true about both of these places is that God is with us. Elisabeth Elliot was right when she said, “The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.”
True peace is freedom. Freedom from disturbance, disputes, or dissension. We don’t serve a God of chaos, but rather a God of order. When we invite him into our hearts, into our schedules, and into our homes, the inevitable result is a peace that overflows.
How do I know this to be true? Because I’m walking this out now in real time. It’s been 8 long months since my husband lost his job with nary a single job offer despite hours of applications and interviews. And yet, we have seen God’s provision time and time again, oftentimes through the unlikeliest of means. I was telling a friend that it’s not like winning the lottery, it’s like waking up to manna every day. We have just what we need. And we have Jesus. Our ultimate rest and joy come from him.
We have been in a pattern of waiting. Waiting for God to move. Waiting for the right company to want and need the skill set Alex has to offer. Waiting to see how he will provide when the severance runs out. This is all easier said than done. It's one thing to believe it in your heart, but it's altogether another thing to feel it in your everyday life. God continues to show us glimpses of himself, of his love for us, of his care for us, and I am so thankful.
As you find yourself waiting this advent season… whether it’s waiting for a diagnosis, waiting for a change in circumstances, or waiting for an improvement in a relationship…we can all wait with a deep peace. That peace comes not from knowing what the future holds, but knowing the One who holds our future. Let us together take hold of this gift from God. John 14:27 reminds us of Jesus’ words, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” We can confidently declare, “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.
So, as you pull out your decorations, bake the cookies, and sing hymns this advent season, let your heart not be troubled. Draw near to the Giver of Peace who makes all the sad things come untrue. He is waiting and wanting to set your heart free.
{Featured Article in The Art of Home newsletter- Holiday Homemaker Happy Mail}
