A peaceful state in God’s right hand comes when we trust His provision. God gave my family a concrete example of that when I was in high school…
Dad lost his job in corporate downsizing after having worked for the same company for fourteen years. We were all in shock and his job search lasted a year and a half.
In the meantime, mom recertified and took a job at as a special-ed teacher in an inner-city elementary school; we girls rotated cooking dinner and other household responsibilities; and we all got creative in our spending—or lack thereof.
God’s provision was astounding and humbling.
During the stressful, yet joyful year and a half, anonymous deposits showed up in our bank account, Christian brothers and sisters invited us for dinner—each and every one of our needs were always met.
Always on her feet as a teacher, my mom valued her comfortable shoes for standing and worked to make them last. One afternoon after school, she took her worn pair of shoes to the cobbler wanting to stretch their usefulness as long as possible.
“Well, ma’am. I can stitch them here, but they’ll come apart over there. I can glue this, but it’s not going to hold. There’s really nothing more I can do with these shoes. I think it’s time to get a new pair.”
Mom returned to the van where we girls were waiting, “Ladies, our forty years in the wilderness are about up. God promised the Israelites that their shoes would not wear out (Deut. 29:5). My shoes have finally worn out, so it must be time for your dad to get a job.”
One month later, he did.
As soon as my dad got a job, each of my sisters hit a growth spurt (aged 14, 12, and 6 at the time), I left for college, and mom got a new pair of shoes for teaching.
God’s provision is perfect—in His way, in His timing. We can rest, trusting and peaceful in His right hand.