Jesus Christ is My Relief

 

Jesus Christ has been my relief this past year. 2023 didn't start out the greatest. Mike lost his job in November and after a fabulous trip back east for Thanksgiving and a good Christmas (people were super generous)! January and February hit hard. Weeks would go by and nothing would pan out with job offers or even availability. We were going to be okay financially if we could just make it to mid March which was FOUR months after the initial layoff. When March first hit I was still hopeful that our “unemployment” chapter would soon be over. But like the past few months had proven there was just nothing on the horizon. To say that I was getting frustrated would be an understatement. I felt like I had faith enough for a miracle but no miracle seemed close. We even had a missionary out- and still the blessing of employment was just out of reach. I don't mean to be all dramatic and that life was super depressing all of the time. It was just heavy and hard. Of course we laughed and had fun times too. But there was always an undercurrent of…” how are we going to make this work?” People were so kind and generous. We often would hear things like, “its all going to work out”, “this is preparing your family for something” You guys have so much faith” and while all of those thoughts were nice it just never made my heart feel better for longer than a few moments. The hard would crash back down. The times I felt true relief was when I was studying about Jesus Christ in The New Testament. I could see myself in the stories! I felt empty, like the Women at the well and knew I needed His living water to sustain my hope and faith in what the future would look like. I also felt forgotten, like the disciples in the ship pleading, “Carest thou not the we perish?” The events suddenly became very real to me. I felt the strength of my Savior pulling me through and felt moments of the rest He promises. My time studying the Saviors life truly became a lifeline of hope and perspective. While I wish I could button up this story and write that Mike eventually landed a well paying job and we’re done with this chapter of our life –I can’t! We’re figuratively walking out on the water with a new type of employment. Its scary and unknown. But, I know that as long as I keep my eyes on the Savior, he’ll be there keeping me safe and pulling me up when the waves get too big and heavy again.