Prayer of Thanksgiving

This isn't a post about the words of my children. But it is our expression of what we've been through the last few years. We offer it as a prayer.



Our life has taken an interesting twist the last few years. You never imagine that things will be so difficult. My husband, like so many, was laid off in April 2003 as part of the great shifting of engineering jobs that went overseas. Professionally trained as a design engineer and working continuously in that field for 19 years, he now faced the arduous task of seeking employment in various other arenas.

He sought some further education in an interest of his and believed this to be an opportune time to explore that option. However, that was not to be. He then decided to go with his true heart and try to find employment that would satisfy his desire to be able to express his faith, to help others in their faith and to be part of the faith community in his daily job. Completely changing the focus of your employment endeavors when all your experience has been in an entirely different arena meant giving total confidence to the Lord to see it accomplished. In small ways, there were successful beginnings. He helped a Christian homeschool group begin a bookstore that serves a constituency of over 16,000. Although only involved for the initial start up and beginning of that ministry, he prays daily for its success and is glad to see the Lord using it to bless many. He has also helped mentor others in their decision process of where to go and what to look for in employment. It has given him tremendous satisfaction to help others who are struggling with the same conflicts – going for the tried and true, or extending faith in following your heart and dreams (the Lord gives us the desires of our heart afterall as in Psalm 37:4, Psalm 20:4, Jeremiah 29:11).

But mostly, this has been a journey where we haven’t even been able to see one step ahead. We’ve simply put one foot in front of the other, trusting in the Lord to provide and guide. And He has – in ways we couldn’t even perceive.

After over three years, we remain on this path of uncertainty, holding fast to the hand of the Lord. Some have compared us to Job, suffering what seems to the outside world one attack after another. What they haven’t seen are the dark moments of doubt and fear, the times of impatience and bewilderment when we ask “Why us, Lord?” We have been blessed to have the Holy Spirit guide us back to confidence in the Lord’s supreme providence. Those moments of questioning have turned into simple faith and trust as we realize that the Lord has not forsaken us, and has in fact taken precious care of us.

Others have often told us what an example of patient faith we are. I always point them to the times of doubt and insecurity that they don’t see because it happens in the middle of the night when others are resting but sleep eludes us due to doubts that plague our hearts and minds. Nevertheless, with the dawn comes renewed hope because the Lord has so graciously blessed us with His loving care. So often, when we didn’t have even an idea of how to get through a tough spot, the Lord worked through others to bless us in unimaginable ways. When others want to point to us as an example of patient hope and faith, I must instead give the credit to the Lord for it is He who has pulled us through. Were it left up to our own miserable selves, we would not be where we are now. He lifts us up, sustains us, bolsters our faith and gives us hope and courage.

There are so many lessons we’ve learned that I pray we will remember when we come out from this rocky part of our journey. I pray we will always have compassion for others as they encounter their steep and rocky paths. I pray that we will be moved to help in material and spiritual ways as the Holy Spirit prompts us to be the hands of God. And I pray that we will always remember that it is to the Lord’s complete credit that we made it through. I often think of that poem “Footprints.” The Lord is carrying us, sustaining us, refining us. As much as we so desperately want to walk beside Him, we are so grateful for His loving care in putting us on His shoulders for this time and walking us through to that smooth part of the path.

Thank you, Lord, for Your shepherding of our family. May we always respond with faith to Your providential movement in our lives.

Amen.