52 Weeks Later and Still His Name Is Proven

Back in college I lead my bible study through a book on the names of God. One of the names we studied has always stuck in my head, and this past year God solidified in my life just how truly the name proclaims exactly God's character. The name is Jehovah-jireh: the God who provides.

One year ago yesterday my bosses called me into the office conference room and explained they needed to lay me off due to the financial status of the company. I was floored. I remember listening to the rest of the conversation in a sort of daze, really unsure that what I just heard had truly happened. "Did I really just get laid off? I mean, I know the economy is not good, but now its really hitting home?" Unsure about how to leave well, I just started making trips to my car with stuff from my desk. After saying farewells, I climbed in my car and headed home. I picked a very specific song on that trip - "Faithful" by Chris Tomlin. I'd listened to this cd many times in the previous two months I had it, but this song finally seemed perfectly fitting.

Faithful - its a word that I can easily miss the amazing depth of in relation to God. Faithful and provides - Jehovah-jireh. At that moment in my car, I didn't have a single clue about the events God started that afternoon that would carry a trend throughout the remainder of the year teaching and reinforcing a serious grain in my life that God is faithful and he is the One who Provides.

Monday morning, Jan 10, I began a long process of deciding what I would pursue for my future. I had the option of collecting unemployment, but with it came the obligation to look for work and accept any job. For a long time I had desired to serve and EMI, and serving this past summer seemed such a great opportunity except for finances. I remember looking at numbers, and come September I would be broke if I didn't get a job immediately upon my return in August. So, what should I decide to do? I remember so many times struggling with deciding how to live out faith in God, the one the bible clearly states will provide every need. Was unemployment his provision, or was he asking me to step out of comfort to an unknown world of trust.

7 Weeks later I discovered an incredible answer: God is faithful. On February 28, the last day I had to decide on EMI, and to sublease my apartment (God likes to act at the last minutes sometimes), I was offered a job with KPFF. I remember actually thinking a little disappointment because this meant EMI wouldn't happen, but I quickly realized what great blessing God had given. He took me from a company that was hurting financially, and gave me a better job only 8 more miles from home. He provided a place to work that gave me more life, more opportunity, and allowed me to remain where I had already invested in ministry. I couldn't believe how incredibly, and obviously, I saw God demonstrate his name of Jehovah-jireh.

The remainder of the year allowed me to continually reflect on how much faithfulness and grace I had been the recipient of. Many times I enjoyed going back to the song "Faithful" and sit listening to the song just remembering how abundantly God had given to me. And in many more ways, I continued to see God move. Throughout the remainder of the year each of my siblings had trials with finances, and in each case we got to reflect together in seeing God answer prayers for them as he had for me. I was so blessed to be home with Melissa and Charlie, Chris and Kristen, and Mom and Dad at the end of this year as we celebrated the birth of our Savior, and reflected on an incredible year that God did some incredible, albeit trying, things in the life of my family.

Now, we have specific circumstances that we can forever look back on to remember that God is faithful, and God most certainly provides. Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to acknowledge God in all our ways, and I am glad to acknowledge that God graciously gave to me and my family so much more than we needed in this last year.