Tough Times and Trust in God
We're going through tough times and they aren't going away anytime soon. Some of us - who may have lost our jobs recently - aren't going to find a job doing the same sort of work we've been doing. Some will, but, let's face it, some won't.
Maybe you're one of the ones who've been looking for work and just can't find it. Or maybe you're someone who's still working, but sees the writing on the wall: you may be laid off sometime soon; you're industry's shrinking - something like that. The point is, it may be time to consider doing something else. But where to start?
Whenever I'm not sure about where or how to start a new project, I try to assess things, look at the basics. So let's do that now. Let's start with some basics, followed by the first steps you can take to deal with the situation you're in.
First of all, maybe you're really desperate. You simply need money right away to pay bills. If that's true, you've got to deal with that right away. If possible, maybe you can just get a job - any job. Yeah, I know: what kind of job? If I could get a job, I would. I understand because I've been through this. So what did I do?
Well, one time I went out and took a simple skills assessment test. Why? I was a musician and wasn't making enough money to support our family. I had no clue what I could do to earn money outside of music. The test helped me get some sense of my skills - which I just couldn't seem to focus on by myself. I figured out my strengths and got a job. We got by with what I made between the job and playing gigs (the musician's term for musical engagements) on weekends.
Some years later, with a bigger family, my job wasn't going well and I needed to make a change. For some reason it took me a long time to face this and get myself in gear to look for something new. Meanwhile, my salary wasn't enough. We wound up building up some debt (nothing too bad - borrowing against a checking account overdraft). I don't know why it took me so long this particular time as opposed to that first time, but it did. But I will say that if you can avoid building up debt, then avoid it. If you can't, it's probably not the end of the world.
Anyway, don't waste too much time fretting. You've simply got to work hard at either finding a job or changing careers. And it does take lots of work, for the most part.
Try thinking of it this way: your new job is finding a job. You need to spend eight hours a day looking.
Yeah, I know: easy to say. And I know it's pretty discouraging at times - and right now it's about as discouraging as I've ever experienced. Okay, so that's where we take up the challenge as Catholic Men at Work (who are out of work): We trust totally in God.
Yeah, I know (again): you really do trust in God - but the bills keep coming, and God's not sending any money or jobs your way right now.
Okay, then maybe that "totally trust" part needs work. (Please don't think I've got this down pat myself. I need to work on this too.) Totally trust means just that. Maybe you should read the Book of Job - the story of how God allowed the devil to test Job's faith by raining down all sorts of disasters on him - and how Job, in spite of temptation, remained faithful and totally trusted in God. (If you haven't read Job in a while, try it now.)
Or maybe you just need to close your eyes and simply believe. Your faith's being tested. Heck, even our Lord was tempted during those 40 days in the desert. So why not you?
But even if you get through the temptation part, you're still faced with needing work, needing to earn a living, having to face the worst economic times any of us have ever lived through. Plus, you're a man and men want to do something. (We're not always good at listening and empathy - just ask your wife - but we do like to take action when faced with a problem, right?)
There's no one way to deal with these tough times. There's no single approach that's right for everyone. But what's probably most important for us Catholic men at work is just this idea of trusting in God and doing our best not to surrender to the anxiety that naturally builds up in times like this.
Maybe it's helpful to know you're not alone - that a lot of other Catholic men face these same challenges. Maybe you're not putting in a full day's work finding work. Maybe you need to step back and re-assess your skills and make a change in the sort of work you do.
Whatever it is, just do it. Just get down to putting in the tough time dealing with these tough times. And trust God, no matter what. Keep praying, keep working. We're all in this together.
Maybe you're one of the ones who've been looking for work and just can't find it. Or maybe you're someone who's still working, but sees the writing on the wall: you may be laid off sometime soon; you're industry's shrinking - something like that. The point is, it may be time to consider doing something else. But where to start?
Whenever I'm not sure about where or how to start a new project, I try to assess things, look at the basics. So let's do that now. Let's start with some basics, followed by the first steps you can take to deal with the situation you're in.
First of all, maybe you're really desperate. You simply need money right away to pay bills. If that's true, you've got to deal with that right away. If possible, maybe you can just get a job - any job. Yeah, I know: what kind of job? If I could get a job, I would. I understand because I've been through this. So what did I do?
Well, one time I went out and took a simple skills assessment test. Why? I was a musician and wasn't making enough money to support our family. I had no clue what I could do to earn money outside of music. The test helped me get some sense of my skills - which I just couldn't seem to focus on by myself. I figured out my strengths and got a job. We got by with what I made between the job and playing gigs (the musician's term for musical engagements) on weekends.
Some years later, with a bigger family, my job wasn't going well and I needed to make a change. For some reason it took me a long time to face this and get myself in gear to look for something new. Meanwhile, my salary wasn't enough. We wound up building up some debt (nothing too bad - borrowing against a checking account overdraft). I don't know why it took me so long this particular time as opposed to that first time, but it did. But I will say that if you can avoid building up debt, then avoid it. If you can't, it's probably not the end of the world.
Anyway, don't waste too much time fretting. You've simply got to work hard at either finding a job or changing careers. And it does take lots of work, for the most part.
Try thinking of it this way: your new job is finding a job. You need to spend eight hours a day looking.
Yeah, I know: easy to say. And I know it's pretty discouraging at times - and right now it's about as discouraging as I've ever experienced. Okay, so that's where we take up the challenge as Catholic Men at Work (who are out of work): We trust totally in God.
Yeah, I know (again): you really do trust in God - but the bills keep coming, and God's not sending any money or jobs your way right now.
Okay, then maybe that "totally trust" part needs work. (Please don't think I've got this down pat myself. I need to work on this too.) Totally trust means just that. Maybe you should read the Book of Job - the story of how God allowed the devil to test Job's faith by raining down all sorts of disasters on him - and how Job, in spite of temptation, remained faithful and totally trusted in God. (If you haven't read Job in a while, try it now.)
Or maybe you just need to close your eyes and simply believe. Your faith's being tested. Heck, even our Lord was tempted during those 40 days in the desert. So why not you?
But even if you get through the temptation part, you're still faced with needing work, needing to earn a living, having to face the worst economic times any of us have ever lived through. Plus, you're a man and men want to do something. (We're not always good at listening and empathy - just ask your wife - but we do like to take action when faced with a problem, right?)
There's no one way to deal with these tough times. There's no single approach that's right for everyone. But what's probably most important for us Catholic men at work is just this idea of trusting in God and doing our best not to surrender to the anxiety that naturally builds up in times like this.
Maybe it's helpful to know you're not alone - that a lot of other Catholic men face these same challenges. Maybe you're not putting in a full day's work finding work. Maybe you need to step back and re-assess your skills and make a change in the sort of work you do.
Whatever it is, just do it. Just get down to putting in the tough time dealing with these tough times. And trust God, no matter what. Keep praying, keep working. We're all in this together.
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