Rainbows represent different things to people: elusive pots of gold, simple refractions of light or even super awesome 80’s sweaters. For me, it’s a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Ten years ago, as I was browsing at CVS waiting for my passport photos and dreaming of the travel possibilities that a renewed passport would bring, I got an unexpected call. “I’ve been let go,” my husband said. It took me a minute for the words to sink in. “Where are you?” I said “Go straight home and I will meet you there.” My mind raced and a thousand scenarios played out in my head. What would we do? Could we pay our bills? Would we lose our house? Would our family sink or would we float? Later that day, I was driving and a voice said, “Maybe you are looking at this the wrong way, perhaps this is an opportunity – a new beginning.” That possibility was like sunlight streaming through the rain, hope pushed through the clouds of worry, a rainbow.
My husband had been dreading his job, it had become a stressful and unpleasant place to work. What had once been a challenging and encouraging job had morphed into reduced responsibilities and increased tension. As the main income earner, he stuck with it out of responsibility and practicality since there were no other employers in our area for his profession. Our prayers for relief came in a way we really didn’t expect and now the choice had been made for him.
Looking back now, it’s hard to believe how much our lives changed in just six months. With some soul searching and research it was decided that my husband would go back to school for nursing and the best option was at Oakland University’s second degree nursing program. One problem: we lived in Washington State and loved it. We had built a wonderful life with friends who were family, an amazing church, and a beautiful city we called home. We had to give up what we loved and trust God. The decision was made to relocate back to our home state of Michigan and move in with family while we were in transition. As we were clearing out our home, selling and donating 80 percent of our possessions, there were times of doubt, anger and worry. At moments when I felt most anxious, God provided a tangible sign of his faithfulness: a rainbow. Whether it was when Greg’s severance package ended, my last day of work, or packing up our remaining belongings into a 16x9x9 PODS shipping container, my LORD provided what He knew I needed to remind me that He had it under control. We went from two jobs, good income and a home to no jobs, no home but a whole lot of faith. My husband is now a Pediatric ICU nurse and loves his job. It is the career that he was designed to do. We both have fantastic jobs, a beautiful home, and chances to use that passport. Life has come full circle. It has not always been easy, but God has always been faithful.
