Joy Cometh in the Morning

My son lost his job only a month after being hired.

He just finally graduated with his BFA in graphic design. He was approached by an in-house marketing department and hired. Life looked good. The pay was decent, and here he was, working in his field, in a job close to home!

Then it happened, right before Thanksgiving.

I have endured a lot of joblessness myself, but hearing this news was like a punch in the gut. I wonder if my mother ever worried about my work the way I worry about my kids'?

We prayed for him constantly. He is a young father of two. His wife took on more hours. He applied for jobs, and was getting interviews. We fasted every Sunday for him.

On December 11, just a few weeks after he was laid off, he was hired. Here, in Northern Virginia, with the company where he had served his internship! I couldn't believe my ears. Frankly, I never believed he would move back here!

So, he had three weeks to pack up and move across the country. As we were going out for Christmas, he swore me to secrecy so he could tell his father in person. I had to keep this news secret from my husband for ten days! Not an easy feat, as I was running around, renting a storage unit for them, and trying to discourage Wes from taking all kinds of stuff for the grandchildren on the trip. Nope, he doesn't need that, I'd say. Nah, he won't use that for a couple of years. It worked, and Wes left some stuff behind. I also had to talk him out of buying a pop-up unit for our daybed, since they are moving in with us and the daybed will be dismantled for the near future!

His worry about our son's job kept my husband from enjoying our Christmas preparations. The struggles of the little family were of great concern to him, and he felt this would be a bleak Christmas despite our all being together. But when the news was revealed--he was thrilled, and we knew the Lord had heard our prayers.

We never prayed that our children would move back here, though that was preferable for us. I always asked the Lord to bless them with good jobs and the ability to provide for their families. So we are thrilled to have some of our grandchildren living nearby, so we can be real grandparents to them. I want my grandchildren to know me, to feel comfortable in my home, and to feel that I am there for love and support.

I know intellectually that the Lord loves me and cares about me, but when I get some physical evidence of this, it is humbling and it touches my heart deeply. I know God cares about every one of us, despite pain and sorrows. Joy does come in the morning from time to time. What a blessing it is!