Curt slammed the door and tossed his keys on the counter. The expression on his face said it all. Frustration. Discouragement. Disappointment. I’d seen it every Friday night for weeks.
“There’s another week without a paycheck,” he said.
“Surely things will pick up,” I said. “What about that couple looking for a house? How’s it going with them?”
Curt pressed his hands against his temples. “That deal fell through. They couldn’t get financing.”
It seemed like everyone struggled with finances these days – including us. For our family, it began a couple years ago.
After sixteen years at the same company, Curt was considering a career change. He liked his job but wasn’t sure he would ever reach his ultimate goals at the company. He was a Type-A personality, constantly pushing himself toward more challenges and responsibility. Someday he hoped to be in a position to help make major company decisions.
Quitting a perfectly good job was a big decision. We prayed about it. We asked for advice from friends we respected. Finally, we decided to go for it. Curt quit his job and began his new career in real estate.
“There’s another week without a paycheck,” he said.
“Surely things will pick up,” I said. “What about that couple looking for a house? How’s it going with them?”
Curt pressed his hands against his temples. “That deal fell through. They couldn’t get financing.”
It seemed like everyone struggled with finances these days – including us. For our family, it began a couple years ago.
After sixteen years at the same company, Curt was considering a career change. He liked his job but wasn’t sure he would ever reach his ultimate goals at the company. He was a Type-A personality, constantly pushing himself toward more challenges and responsibility. Someday he hoped to be in a position to help make major company decisions.
Quitting a perfectly good job was a big decision. We prayed about it. We asked for advice from friends we respected. Finally, we decided to go for it. Curt quit his job and began his new career in real estate.
Four months later we learned that his former company had been bought out. We felt like we had dodged a bullet. Many folks lost their jobs.
Curt’s first year in real estate went well. Business was good and he enjoyed the new challenge. We needed to move closer to his office, so we sold our house, moved into a rental and made plans to build our dream home. We were excited about our new adventure. Until the following year – in 2008 – when the economy crashed.
At that point the real estate market came to a standstill. Our excitement turned into anxiety. Week after week my normally upbeat husband came home discouraged. Now here we were again, another week and no paycheck.
I squeezed Curt’s shoulder. “You’re a hard worker and a smart businessman. Things will turn around.” I tried to sound confident, but inside, I worried. And those worries multiplied in the upcoming weeks.
It wasn’t easy, cramming our family of five into a tiny rental house. Most of our belongings were packed away in storage. The kids missed our old home and struggled to adjust to a new school. And then there was the stress of building a house.
We had broken ground and started construction earlier that year. Now we worried if we could even afford it. Each time we met with our builder we made changes to cut costs. We held off on finishing the basement. We decided against a three-season porch. We waited to finish the landscaping. I tried not to complain, but it was hard to stay positive while our dreams slipped away.
Curt’s first year in real estate went well. Business was good and he enjoyed the new challenge. We needed to move closer to his office, so we sold our house, moved into a rental and made plans to build our dream home. We were excited about our new adventure. Until the following year – in 2008 – when the economy crashed.
At that point the real estate market came to a standstill. Our excitement turned into anxiety. Week after week my normally upbeat husband came home discouraged. Now here we were again, another week and no paycheck.
I squeezed Curt’s shoulder. “You’re a hard worker and a smart businessman. Things will turn around.” I tried to sound confident, but inside, I worried. And those worries multiplied in the upcoming weeks.
It wasn’t easy, cramming our family of five into a tiny rental house. Most of our belongings were packed away in storage. The kids missed our old home and struggled to adjust to a new school. And then there was the stress of building a house.
We had broken ground and started construction earlier that year. Now we worried if we could even afford it. Each time we met with our builder we made changes to cut costs. We held off on finishing the basement. We decided against a three-season porch. We waited to finish the landscaping. I tried not to complain, but it was hard to stay positive while our dreams slipped away.
One Sunday morning I was in church by myself. Curt was upstairs teaching Sunday school. Our girls were in their classes. The worship service began and song lyrics flashed onto the screen. I opened my mouth, attempting to sing, but the words felt lodged in my throat. I thought back to life before Curt quit his job. We were doing fine financially. Our kids had felt safe and secure. Life was comfortable. Then everything got messed up. We did what we thought God wanted us to do. We took a leap of faith. And for what? Now we could barely pay our bills and my husband felt like a failure. Why did God lead us into this heartache?
A few days later, we decided it was time. Time to swallow our pride and dust-off Curt’s resume.
“It’ll be fine,” I’d said, giving him a hug. “Someone with your education and experience won’t have trouble finding a job.” But we both knew it wasn’t that simple. In this economy, companies weren’t even hiring.
But even before Curt had the chance to start his job search, something amazing happened. Curt got a phone call from a local insurance company. Apparently, someone who had worked with him at his previous company had given them his name. They had a job opening and asked if Curt would be interested in submitting a resume. Curt interviewed for the job and the rest is history.
The day after we moved into our new house, Curt headed off to work at his new job. That was ten years ago. Today, he finds his position as Chief Information Officer very rewarding.
God knew the market was going to crash. Nothing surprises Him. But even when things don’t go as planned, He can also work everything out for good. He holds every single day in His hands. We just need to focus on today and leave the rest to Him.
A few days later, we decided it was time. Time to swallow our pride and dust-off Curt’s resume.
“It’ll be fine,” I’d said, giving him a hug. “Someone with your education and experience won’t have trouble finding a job.” But we both knew it wasn’t that simple. In this economy, companies weren’t even hiring.
But even before Curt had the chance to start his job search, something amazing happened. Curt got a phone call from a local insurance company. Apparently, someone who had worked with him at his previous company had given them his name. They had a job opening and asked if Curt would be interested in submitting a resume. Curt interviewed for the job and the rest is history.
The day after we moved into our new house, Curt headed off to work at his new job. That was ten years ago. Today, he finds his position as Chief Information Officer very rewarding.
God knew the market was going to crash. Nothing surprises Him. But even when things don’t go as planned, He can also work everything out for good. He holds every single day in His hands. We just need to focus on today and leave the rest to Him.
