Providential Predicament #1

The most effective guide for abundant living

By Amanda Compton

“The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.” Job 1:21

"But as is so often the case, tribulation brings either spiritual growth, resulting in forgiveness and long-term hope, despite unfortunate realities; or spiritual decay, which spawns bitterness and a sense of entitlement. I chose the former."

It seems just as our lives get comfortable, something happens to shake things up a bit.

From my dad’s 2013 kidney cancer diagnosis (the cancer was contained to one kidney), to me losing my job in mid-2014, to losing my grandmother and having a cancer scare of my own one year later – the past few years have dealt a few blows to me and my family. Not to mention ongoing infertility issues.

Through each of these moments, the Lord has brought me closer to Him. I feel led to share my reflections over the past few years with hopes you too will be encouraged in whatever tribulations you’re facing at the moment. 

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“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

Riding High:

It was the most exhilarating time of my life: The days leading up to Sept. 10, 2007, when my uncle would ring the New York Stock Exchange opening bell to start the trading day.

That weekend, private limousines ushered us around Manhattan to expensive restaurants, high-end retail shops and Broadway shows. We stayed in one of the most luxurious hotel rooms I had ever seen. My husband and I walked the streets of SoHo, the West Village and China Town. We drank wine and danced in the streets of Little Italy.

As they rang the NYSE opening bell, my aunt and uncle’s faces beamed with joy. And rightly so. After all, they had taken their company public just the month prior.

My family and I watched from the trading floor below. We looked on with joyful tears – taking in the rarity of this moment . . . one that very few families get to experience together. I thought to myself with not a care in the world: “This is the American Dream.”

Fast forward to 2013.

The company I had devoted the past seven years of my life to was in trouble. My family’s company – one on which my brilliant, courageous uncle risked everything to start back in 1993.

I was cut back to part-time in 2013, losing half my income. One year later, I was laid off, and because I was not a full-time employee, I did not qualify for any kind of severance.  The company went through what is known in the corporate world as a “hostile takeover,” was restructured and later re-emerged as a private entity – without me or the rest of my family, of course.

The loss hurt. There were ranging emotions, from embarrassment, to bitterness, to resentment, to even hope, though the latter emotion diminished quickly due to the bleak job market.

I quickly learned that entry-levels jobs were in great supply, while opportunities for professional employment were minimal. It is a toxic combination: few professional-level jobs to serve a saturated market of professional job seekers. During my two-month job hunt, I did not get one interview for a professional position. Not. One.

There are many underemployed people out there -- some forced to work two to three jobs just to make ends meat. I had heard from others that this was indeed the situation -- but I truly did not grasp to what extent until it was me looking for employment. You know that saying, "You don't know until you're there?" Well, it's true.

CEOs of "restructured" companies have connections and go on to make millions. The rest of us, however, are forced to start over. And when I say start over, I mean making less than what I earned at my first job out of college back in 2001.

That said, I ended up in an entry-level banking job, eventually being promoted to the mortgage processing department -- without a pay increase.  At this particular company, most "promotions" were lateral moves until your yearly salary increase at which time employees' performances over the past year were reviewed and rewarded accordingly.

Most employees got a raise and I'm sure increases varied, but overall, according to my observations, one did not make more for increased knowledge or workload. Great benefits, but I calculated it would've taken me 10 to 15 years to recoup the lower middle-class salary I was making prior to being laid off.

So, with the hesitant blessing of my husband, I decided to step out on faith in October and quit my job. I felt the Lord leading me in a new direction. Although I have less than an inkling as to what this looks like -- I have learned more about myself in these four months than I knew the entire 37 years of my life.

It's true. God really does know us better than we know ourselves. We just have to trust Him.

Confessions and lessons learned

Looking back, this was the “providential predicament” the Lord used towards my spiritual makeover, a sort of knock-out punch -- one that awoke me from a spiritual slumber.

This was not an instant realization, however. Like everything else the Lord predestines, it was one of those life events that seems so big, and so traumatic at the moment that it is hard to fathom how anything good could ever come from it.

But as is so often the case, tribulation brings either spiritual growth, resulting in forgiveness and long-term hope, despite unfortunate realities; or spiritual decay, which spawns bitterness and a sense of entitlement. I chose the former.

What I learned about myself is that I was quite proud, believing I was insulated from the ongoing Great Recession. In the end, I was not. This momentous event humbled me to the core.

Over the past few years, the Lord has shown me how to lean more on Him for my needs. My identity (and faith) is now in Christ, not in politics; not in my profession; not in my annual salary, education or skills. This loss also made me realize how thankful I am for a church family, who makes it their mission to pray with and encourage my family through hard times.

I love being a wife and a mom. I enjoy taking care of my home, do-it-yourself projects and sitting down with a good book in the afternoon (I can do this now because I actually have the time!). I look forward to picking my son up from school as well as having the energy to prepare my family healthy, home-cooked dinners.

I want to serve my husband, which sounds old-fashioned and so 1950s, but honestly, I cannot think of anything more rewarding. Have I mentioned that I absolutely adore my husband?

Oh, and I actually look forward to my son's sporting events. Before, sports were one more thing on my "to-do" list.  I am also pretty darn good at being frugal, opting for homemade laundry detergent and dishwashing soap over store-bought brands. Who would've known?!

For now, I work part-time in the children's ministry at church and am a substitute teacher at my son's private Christian school.

Finances are tight in the Compton household and I will eventually have to go back to work (prayers for in-home childcare opportunity and/or church ministry position). But for now, I'm resting at His feet . . . with faith. Life is good.