Asking Your Husband to Quit His Job?!
Can you imagine being so desperate to have your husband back that you would ask you husband to quit a reliable paying job?
There was a point about 13 years into our marriage that work was extracting such a toll on my husband that there was nothing left for him to be a active husband or father. We had always said that if we had to choose between our marriage or a career, it would be our marriage. Things had been getting worse at work for several years. Their region had gone from about 7 branches to about 16 with no additional staff. This was intentional on the part of his company.
One day, on a 5 hour drive, I asked him to leave his job. As you can imagine, it was a difficult conversation. He was not angry and totally understood. He even agreed. Yet, how does a man walk away from a career not knowing what comes next? Unfortunately, a year passed and nothing changed. I could have nagged but, that works on no man. I prayed. I began to ask the Lord to ask him to quit when the Lord thought it was time.
A year later, the Lord asked him to quit. That’s a long wait, but it’s better to trust the Lord’s timing than to force our own agenda. Now, all this time, he could have been looking for another job. All this time, I could have festered and built resentment. Of course i did, but not in an outwardly angry way. I inwardly gave up on our marriage but figured we’d stay together until the kids grew up; but, I kept praying.
Another year passed. All during that year, things were changing in him.
A year later he quit. A few months earlier he had been hiring an employee for a job at his company and during the interview, he sensed the Lord whisper: “that’s your replacement.” He, thus, began to train that person not just to be his assistant, but to be him. He trained her how to do his job and we began praying for her. Once he gave notice, he gradually stepped up her responsibilities, even switching offices two weeks prior to his last day so that she could operate in the role with him there for on site advice. It was a completely seamless transition. He wanted to do this to take care of the people he was leaving behind.
We thought it would be a month and we would be off and running to the new job, whatever that might be. Well, we got that wrong, again! It was nine months of unemployment. Nine months of spiritual labor birthing a new season in our lives and ministry. During that time the Lord built and rebuilt things that we had no idea needed work. During that time we fell in love again. During that time our children had a father again. Mike joined us as a family doing things with us for the first time ever and our son was 12. He would tell you to never miss out on your children growing up. He would tell you to never fear the loss of your career. God is absolutely trustworthy and can handle your best decisions and your worst mistakes.
“I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have ·good plans for you plans for your peace/security, not plans ·to hurt you . I will give you hope and a good future. Jeremiah 29:11 EXB
You would enjoy a study on this passage. It means that He will prosper your feet on the path. He will place your feet on the path they need to be upon. It means that no matter how long it takes you to respond that He is still there waiting, redeeming and working on your behalf. It means that He knows your end from your beginning.
Will you wait upon Him today? Will you join Him in praying for your family? Will you trust Him today?
It is worth it.