A Painful Lesson
Sep 17, 2005
From a cheezy movie, Maid in Manhattan:
"Sometimes we are forced in directions that we ought to have found for ourselves."
So it's only a mediocre film, but this line caught me by surprise.
Several years ago, I was laid off. It caught me by surprise - in fact I could hardly breathe. People I trusted, who I thought were friends, were the very ones who quietly destroyed my world. It was so painful; I still have nightmares about that place and that day. The problem is, I should have seen it coming. The writing had been on the walls a long time, at least six months.
So, I was forced in a direction that I should have found on my own. But, Providence smiled on me.
One of my dearest friends underwent cancer surgery that same fateful day - and she needed me. Not the Jennifer who was overworked and stressed, but the Jennifer who was available and tender-hearted. We spent the next six weeks together, recovering. She helped me update my resume, and I helped her move around the house. We both look back on that time with fondness, because we were each able to love a friend who was wounded. I owe her a debt that I can't repay - she helped my find my way.
To Leanne - I love you and I thank God for that awful day.
Wow, very touching. God does work in amazing ways, in ways we would never sign up for if we knew about them ahead of time, but that He knows will work for our very best in the end. I would never have the courage or the strength to be a truly Good God. Not to mention the wisdom, goodness, etc.