I know that's not what most people would consider a blessing. Most people would demand to know why God had cursed them, what they'd done wrong, etc. I initially reacted the same way. I was angry at my former boss for firing me. I was angry at God for letting me down. I was angry that I finally had a job that I somewhat liked and now had no job. Then, I thought back on the past year and a half of my life:
The first time I went to college, I majored in business despite everyone telling me, "Go to engineering school." My logic was that all five of my uncles who were engineers were managers, so I could just cut out the fat, get a business degree, and still be a manager, because ultimately, that's what I would end up doing anyway.
After college, I got my first job as a Licensed Team Member for a local State Farm agent and started working at the front desk. After the initial first job excitement wore off, I was miserable. I dreaded waking up to face another day and went home at night so angry that I could barely see the road. I was tired of being told that I was too young, too inexperienced, and that I looked like a kid. It seemed that older people hated me simply for the fact that I was young. I started looking for a way out after only 4 months.
After a year at State Farm, I accepted an offer at a ServiceMaster Franchise. Now, I was going out and meeting people, passing out pamphlets and talking to potential clients. I didn't want to admit it, but I wasn't any happier there either. Insurance agents, realtors, and homeowners still dismissed me as some kid. Yet, I kept trying to push forward in business, telling myself that one day, I would make it. Then came October 17, 2014, and the words, "We're gonna have to let you go."
Two weeks later, I was at my parents' house taking some time to help them around the farm and clear my head. One day as we sat in the family room, Dad looked at me and said, "Go back to school for engineering. We'll help you." When I got back to New Albany, I applied at Purdue College of Technology and was accepted to the Electrical Engineering Technology degree program.
At first, I might have disagreed with Jesus in today's Gospel. He tells the disciples that God will give us good gifts what we need to sustain ourselves. Losing a job doesn't seem like a gift or a blessing. Yet, it was a wakeup call. It was God's way of saying, "This isn't my plan for you, kid. My plan involves you actually being happy. Let's go back to square one."
Right now, things aren't much better than October 17, 2014. I'm again unemployed and going to school for probably another 4 years. Yet, I see my time back in school as a desert that I have cross. I'm facing the trials now and learning to appreciate the simple life and experience the generosity of others. I know when I'm an engineer and I'm successful, I'll appreciate it a lot more. I'll have a more generous heart than I would have had before. I'll think twice before buying a nice new car, the latest gadget, a fancy house, or going for a master's degree that I don't really need. All of this is a blessing in disguise that will make me a better steward of the gifts I've been given.
We all need a desert in life. We all need Lent. It's only in passing through the desert that we can appreciate the Promised Land. It's only in the sacrifice and penitence of Lent that we can experience the true joys of Easter. And like everything else in the Christian life, it isn't a solitary journey. We don't walk alone. Let us journey together in the desert, so as to one day experience together the joy of Easter and the Promised Land of everlasting life with God.
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