Security, just an illusion?

With each passing year I have come to realize that the idea of security is really just an illusion. Many people seek a life that has a sense of security, in our relationships, jobs, finances, plans, etc. But often just when we think we’ve found it, it’s gone.

Those of my grandparent’s generation saw an ideal job as one that paid the bills and provided a sense of security for their families. It seems to me that these kinds of “secure” jobs really don’t exist anymore, I’m not sure if they ever really have.

This year has seen many individuals and families experience the loss of that sense of security in their jobs and finances. Living in the manufacturing sector of Canadian society, we have seen and heard more about how the economic situation has affected the people than we probably would have out west. Our landlord, along with many others has been laid off since January. At the factory where he works (manufactures items for GM), those that had been with the company for less than 19 years have been laid off. One would think that working the same job for 18 years would provide some kind of security; however this doesn’t seem to be the case.

One of the best things about getting the rug pulled out from underneath you is having to put your complete trust in Christ and his plans for your life. When I think about the times in our marriage where David and I felt a loss of the sense of security that we once felt, I also remember our dependence on Christ and the reality that we as people really have no control in life. It’s good to be reminded of this once and awhile.

Interestingly enough, those times were also times where our lives took a turn, plans changed and consequently our lives have been fuller and richer. We were forced to making decisions and choices that have led to lives of greater passion and purpose. Change rarely feels good at the time, but the end results can be wonderful if we’re willing to embrace the changes and seek God throughout the process.

After 7 years of working with MCC, David suddenly lost his job one day due to a wrong accusation. While this was painful to deal with and hard to understand; our sudden loss of security forced David to make a career change. David ended up choosing a new career path in wine making after much searching. We know that this is something that he probably would have never done had he remained working at MCC and had a secure job. After all, why leave a job with good pay, good benefits and lots of holidays to take a risk by going to school, making little to no money all for a job that you’re not even sure that you’ll love? But David never loved working at MCC and didn’t have any passion for the job. It wasn’t where he saw himself working 10-20+ years down the road.

After we sold our house this past summer we invested our profits into a very low risk portfolio. Four days later the economy took a nose dive and we watched our profits decline substantially. We had that coveted security for just four days before it was gone again. We felt that God was once again asking us to keep our trust in him and not on money or worldly things. This has been difficult at times, especially since this is the money that we planned to live on. In more recent days we have seen the market go up and our funds get closer and closer to what we originally invested. I have been thankful for a bright husband who monitors the financial news on a daily basis and has made some wise decisions on our behalf (against some of the ‘advisors’ advice).

I’m not sure why exactly I choose to write about this. However, I have felt this topic on my heart for quite some time. I actually wrote this several weeks ago as a part of my devotional/ personal time and thought I would share it here. I seem to continue to hear about people who have lost their job or are struggling with some kind of loss in their life. God has a plan for each of us!

I feel like so many of us continue to do the things we’re doing or stay in unhappy situations because we cling to that sense of security. I am thankful for the lessons that David and I have been learning in this area over the past years. God has been very good to us. We recognize the importance of planning and have always been people that make 1, 5, 10 year plans. However, these are mostly lists of ideas or possible goals. Without a sense of direction it can be difficult to know where to head. The key seems to be in praying for God’s wisdom and direction when making plans/ goals, and when the ‘plan’ doesn’t seem to work, to go with it and once again look to Christ for further direction. We can have all the plans in the world, but if they’re just ours and not his, they’ll likely not work out or won’t be very good in the end.

Just some thoughts for today.