Listen:
“I once was young, now I’m a graybeard not once have I seen an abandoned believer, or his kids out roaming the streets. Every day he’s out giving and lending, his children making him proud.” (Psalm 37:25-27, The Message)
Reflect:
After 18 years with my company, they announced they were closing with no forewarning. We were caught completely off guard, and I went into what I now see was shock.
As a leader of a large organization, I led my team through the navigation of the news, as it hit all of us at different stages of life. I also was a leader in the greater company, so there were other leaders that I reached out to, to process with, even as I began to process what it meant for our own family.
You never know how you’ll respond to crisis until it hits, but in many ways, the Lord had been preparing me for a moment like this. Yes, it is scary to lose your entire income in a single press release, but also, over the years I had run a similar scenario through my head before in prayer, asking the Lord how He would have me respond if I had a “lost it all” moment. While I don’t want to solely rely on the resources of this world to be my comfort, I also can’t get too caught up in the weeds when imagining what I’d do in worst case scenarios. When hard times hit, God shows up in miraculous ways that we could never invent in our imaginary scenarios.
Already, He has shown up in ways I could never have imagined! My daughter Holli sent me the scripture that I’m highlighting today for this writing; it’s what I’ve stood on as I’ve begun to rebuild in the last couple of weeks. And while I am starting over abruptly at age 54, I have never felt so alive and held as I have building something new under His guidance and provision. Even though what was before has been stripped away, my HOPE is in what I do have: access to the Giver of ALL good gifts; the God who NEVER abandons His believers.
Prayer of Response:
Father God, thank you for being a Father who sees us and our circumstances. You see every detail, You are in control and You care so much for us. You meet us in times of need, and You take care of us in such creative ways. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding us in our choices before they even make sense to us in the physical world. Thank You for bringing order to our lives and peace to chaos. Lord, YOU are always good and always working things to our good. As we begin this advent season, our hearts are full of thanksgiving for Your good and perfect gift of our precious Savior, Jesus’. You are our Hope now and as we wait for Your coming again.
Questions to Ponder:
- Where is your hope? In your finances or the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? (Psalm 50:10-12)
- Do you have a plan for financial hardship? When something like this happens to someone else, it’s a good reminder that we can be one job loss away from financial crisis if we don’t plan responsibly. Be sure to have a financial plan for times like this. God is a God of order in all areas.
Breath prayers:
As we begin the first week of advent, join us in praying breath prayers of HOPE each day. Here is one based on Psalm 130:5 we can all pray as a community, we invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale: I wait for the Lord…
Exhale: in His word I put my hope.
—Submitted by: Traci Morrow
Traci lives in Colorado with her husband KC.They also have six adult kids, 3 grandkids and one due in Feb 2025! She is a Wellness Guide and is the Relationship Expert and Growth Guide for Maxwell Leadership. Traci is passionate about healthy relationships; writing as a regular contributor for Thrive Today, a Leadership Journal for Christian Women and has authored the book, Real-Life Marriage; Navigating Your Beautiful, Messy, One-Of-A-Kind Love Story.