The last seven weeks have been a roller coaster

Seven weeks ago today was a busy day. Several weeks of job hunting yielded my second interview, and I left for camp that same day. A few days after coming back from camp would be my last day and I had no job lined up. Needless to say, I was nervous.

"Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him."
-Psalm 126

Those words have been a promise I’ve held to the past few months as I’ve been working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Things weren’t fun. Money wasn’t just tight, more of it was going out than coming in, which makes life stressful in every regard.

At the same time, it was like God was speaking to me, saying two things: “Josh, I really do want to bless you, the hard things about your life right now I am using to change your heart. Josh, I am your sufficiency, not your job at a Christian organization or the people in that organization who like you."

Finally, it became apparent that the current course could not go on, and God said that my time with YFC had to end - not that I couldn’t earn a good living working at YFC, but the path laid out for me ended up taking a different turn.

I love YFC. For nearly a week after making the decision and the announcement I was depressed, unable to motivate myself to do much of anything - and scared at the daunting task of hunting for a job, which is a humbling experience indeed.

The amazing thing is, after pursuing about a dozen jobs, I got the job I wanted the most, working in the Global Security Operations Center at Microsoft. The timing has been perfect, and the job meets the needs of our growing family. The job is a job, meaning, its not like I get up every day and say, “today what I really want to do, above all else, is protect Microsoft assets!” But I really like my job - it uses my personality strengths in many ways, and I love the people I get to work with.

So, while Psalm 126 started out as something I was clinging to in hope, it has been brought to reality in my life. I went out sowing seeds while weeping, and am coming home with shouts of joy because God is meeting my every need.

So, what does the future hold? Latisha and I are becoming more involved in what is happening in Hilltop, where we live, and I am a very present voice in how Soma is shepherding youth in Tacoma. It is so very clear to me that I am in the right place, and I'm excited for what's in store for my family.

josh