Article April 18, 2005 Issue

A NEW 'FRESH' START

By Frank L. Smith

AFTER WORKING STEADILY FOR 26 YEARS, I SUDDENLY FOUND MYSELF LAID OFF. It was a bit shocking. But for me, the bottom line has always been to trust in God, no matter what.

I think of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea. The Egyptians were trying to capture them. The Sea was in front of them, there were mountains to their sides, and they really didn't have much of a choice—they could either go back to being slaves in Egypt, or they could trust in God completely and go forward toward freedom. Rather than giving up, Moses, their leader, turned wholeheartedly to God. And God indeed saved the Israelites. He parted the waters, the Red Sea opened before them, and the Israelites walked through on dry ground (see Exodus, chapter 14).

This layoff was a kind of "Red Sea" experience for me. It wasn't nearly as overwhelming as the one the Israelites faced, but I resolved right from the very beginning to see this as an opportunity to walk forward. I believe that God governs every aspect of our experience, and that we can trust in His government. I had faith that He was going to be taking care of my wife and me. I didn't know exactly how that would happen, but I deeply believed that through God we would have all we needed.

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