Thankful Thursday

The economy is tough.  I know more than a few people who have lost their jobs.  In some cases, two years later they're still out of work and their unemployment benefits have run out.

Just this Monday one friend, G, started a new job!  This man lost his job almost two years ago.  In September of 2009, as his wife and son were waiting for him to come home from work so they could begin the seven hour drive to the city where the son would begin his freshman year of college, this man was processing the news he had just received -- after almost 20 years service with his employer, he was being laid off.  What a shock.  What an incredible sucker punch to the gut.

I can't even begin to imagine what G was thinking and feeling as he drove home to his family.  I don't know how he was able to walk through the door and tell his wife that he no longer had a job.  Through no fault of his own, he was suddenly, totally unexpectedly, unemployed.

Thankfully, he wasn't without hope.  In spite of the overwhelming odds against him -- his age and the scores of other Americans who were also looking for work -- G never gave up.  He responded to help wanted ads, sent out countless resumes, and attended job fairs, job search coaching sessions, and support groups.  And even more impressive, when he wasn't looking for a job, he also completed the citizens' police academy program offered by our town, volunteered at food pantries, and trained to be a trail guide for the county forest preserve system.  Unemployed, my friend was more busy and productive than many fully-employed individuals.

I am so thankful that G's perseverance and optimism finally paid off!  This week he started work, employing the same skills he utilized in his former job.  His new employers value his maturity, experience, and expertise.  If they even know half of what G has gone through over the past two years, they would also be impressed with his dedication and determination to never give up.

I am thankful that G now has a good job and I'm thankful that, despite a very bleak outlook, he didn't give up.  His persistence and refusal to feel sorry for himself was a powerful testimony to his sons, extended family, and friends of a quiet confidence in his abilities and self-worth and a deep reliance on God's ability to provide for his every need.