Law of Opposites - Journal

So we all know the law of opposites. You can't experience joy without first experiencing pain. Love and hate. Safety and fear. Peace and contention. Faith and trial. Etc etc etc.

Sometimes life moves along at a steady, consistent pace. Things are smooth. Things are easy. Sometimes when we fall into a steady, consistent pace we get lazy. Things seem fine - so we don't need to work as hard. Or be as sincere in prayer. Or worry as much. Or be as vigilant. It goes like that until there is almost a numb state where life moves along day to day.

Until there is a bump in the road. Or a tree. Or a brick wall. There comes a point where we are reminded, whether gently or not so gently, that all things great take a bit of work on our end.

Dee was laid off in December, after 9 years. There had been cuts previously and we knew another one was coming but he felt safe. Over a conference call they laid off 1500 employees. OUCH.

This rocked the security boat. Also added to the empathy boat. I have friends and know of people that have been out of work for YEARS. They speak of struggles, of making ends meet, of unexpected blessings. I felt sorry for them but didn't truly understand the range of emotion (from anger, to listlessness, to hope, to counting blessings, to fear and back to worry)and depth of uncertainty that comes with it.

Financially we were prepared for a time, but we re-visited our "wants vs. needs" list. Things that seemed necessary before suddenly became something we could live without. (Nutella!) We also re-visited our blessings list. Our kids are healthy. Our families are safe. Our home is secure and in good condition. We have a good-reliable car. We had time together we would not have had if he were working full time.

This became especially evident with the relationship between Dee and Carter. Carter became his best buddy and Dee couldn't leave the room without Carter following him. He was able to spend precious time with this quickly growing 2 year old that he has not been able to spend with the other kids at this age.

Then there is the spiritual side. I know the cycle throughout the scriptures: hardship - humility - faith - peace - content - laziness - trials - hardship - humility - faith - peace - content - so on. It's easy to see when it's written out. However, sometimes in our lives the trials come to remind us to start the cycle over again. Prayer is so much more sincere and personal when praying for family members in situations you can't control. It is so heartfelt when there is no one else to turn to. It is also followed by such a feeling of love and peace and the knowledge and reassurance that everything will work out, even if not in the time frame or the way I think it should.

To make a long story shorter, Dee has since gotten a job. It is local so we don't have to move. The job seems better than the last one. RELIEF!

I became a consultant for Shelf Reliance, which use to terrify me, but that is another story. I'm finding I love it. I love the company, I love what I am learning, I'm loving the people I am meeting. Things are working out. Differently than I imagined, but I am continually surprised by how "different" isn't bad.

Change is hard, resetting the cycle is humbling, re-prioritizing is painful, remembering what is important and that there is a greater purpose is amazing. I am grateful for the law of opposites. For having time after being too busy. For feeling peace after nights of worry. For getting out of debt (again) after losing a job. For having food storage after using food storage. For knowing people are praying for you after not needing prayers. Humility after pride. Joy after pain. Safety after fear. Peace after contention.